Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence optimistic he can play Thursday vs. Saints after knee injury
Trevor Lawrence twisted his left knee in the final minutes of Sunday’s win over the Colts
Though he went down with a knee injury in the final moments on Sunday afternoon, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is feeling good about playing on Thursday night against the New Orleans Saints.
Lawrence underwent an MRI on his left knee on Monday, which reportedly revealed a sprain that the team did not believe was serious, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He was wearing a knee brace on Tuesday and was limited at practice.
"I'm going to do everything I can to be out there," Lawrence said, via ESPN. "I feel a lot better today than I would've thought. So I like how I'm progressing, and I'm going to do everything I can to be out there on Thursday.
"It's progressed really well through the past 24, 48 hours. So, really like where it's at."
The Jaguars are not expected to make an official determination about Lawrence’s status until Thursday.
Lawrence went to scramble on a play with just more than three minutes left in their 37-20 win over the Colts on Sunday afternoon, but he was brought down awkwardly by Colts defensive end Samson Ebukam. Lawrence’s left leg seemed to twist a bit as they reached the turf, and he immediately reached for his knee before walking off the field.
#Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence grabs at his knee after getting taken down on this play.
pic.twitter.com/pyhhfEQRxD— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 15, 2023
That play happened on a third down, so Lawrence didn’t need to be replaced. Backup C.J. Beathard came in on the final drive, but he kneeled the ball down three times to end the game.
“I just felt some discomfort in my knee and I went down,” Lawrence said after the game. “I don’t know if it was twisted or landed on or what. I kind of felt it right away and then kind of put a little pressure on it. I realized I could get up, so I was just trying to get up off the field.”
Lawrence went 20-of-30 for 181 yards with two touchdowns and interception in the win. He’s thrown for 1,439 yards and seven touchdowns so far this season, his third in the league, while leading the Jaguars to a 4-2 record.
If Lawrence doesn’t start on Thursday in New Orleans, Beathard will take the reins for the Jaguars. Beathard has a 2-10 record as a starter in the league, and is in his third season in Jacksonville. Lawrence has not missed a game in his NFL career, and missed just two during his time at Clemson.
“Whether you decide to play or not, you’ve got to feel comfortable with what you’re doing and confident, you’ve got to go play [like normal] because you can’t play this game hesitating at all,” Lawrence said. “That’s a question that obviously everyone asks themselves when you’re dealing with anything.”
