As if the Jacksonville Jaguars' season couldn't get any more frustrating, they now have major uncertainty surrounding the status of quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Sources say Lawrence is slated to miss Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings and Mac Jones is set for his first start with the club. Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Friday it was "trending" toward Lawrence being out and Jones starting. Jacksonville officially made Lawrence inactive on Sunday.
A redemption opportunity for Jones, the former Patriots starter who began his tenure in New England with such promise only to fizzle out in frustration. But for Lawrence, it's unclear if Sunday's missed start is the beginning of a long, disappointing period or not.
Lawrence is dealing with a significant AC joint sprain, sources say, one that affects only his left shoulder. Yet, the injury can make throwing and simply functioning difficult. All this, despite missing no time last week and playing quite well. It came from a hit in the second quarter and somehow Lawrence played the rest of Jacksonville's 28-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Surgery is possible for Lawrence, sources say, though the current plan is for rest and rehab. While the team has called him day to day, week to week is probably a more accurate description. Regardless of whether Lawrence plays moving forward, the injury is expected to limit him for the next several weeks.
But there are options.
Some players with similar injuries end up having surgery -- Anthony Richardson is one example from last year, but that was to fix his throwing shoulder. Other players play with it their entire careers with no issue, simply by managing it. But it might not fully heal on its own.
And now, Jones enters the fold.
Traded from New England this past offseason, Jones is said to love Jacksonville, the system and the coaches. He's spent the last half year rebuilding his confidence following a tough time with the Patriots. He worked overtime in Texas this summer throwing with his QB coach Joe Dickinson in an effort to find his old self.
Jones now has the opportunity to make it all count.
"I've got a lot of confidence (in Jones)," Pederson said Friday. "He's somebody that prepares extremely hard, extremely well. He's a smart kid. You go back to even some of the preseason stuff and what he did then, as far as preparation and all that and how he played. He's going to be fine. He'll be excited. Home game, home crowd, home fans, his people, so to speak."
