Trevor Lawrence has been an ironman throughout his playing career, and he has showcased the extent of his toughness in his third NFL season.
In Week 13, Lawrence had to be helped off the field and taken into the locker room with a serious-looking ankle injury during the Jaguars' loss to the Bengals on "Monday Night Football." At the time, many feared he might have suffered a season-ending injury or at least something that might derail the end of Jacksonville's season.
The Jaguars got good news when it was revealed that Lawrence had suffered a high-ankle sprain on the play and not anything worse. Still, few believed he would suit up for the team's Week 14 game against the Browns.
Somehow, however, Lawrence was able to play just six days after suffering the injury. He looked no worse for wear, completing 22 of 29 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns; even more impressively, he scrambled for eight yards and a touchdown despite the injury.
Naturally, Lawrence's ability to quickly bounce back from a troublesome injury captivated the NFL world. It also put his durability under the microscope, as the 6-6 quarterback has rarely missed a game during his NFL career; and when he has, it hasn't been because of injury.
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Here's what to know about Lawrence's ironman streak as it continues in the NFL.
Trevor Lawrence's ironman streak
Lawrence's ironman streak dates back to his high school career at Cartersville in Georgia. He led his team to 41 straight victories and never missed a game for them.
Lawrence continued to avoid injuries at a ridiculous rate during his college days. He wasn't able to make each of his starts consecutively, but he appeared in 35 of a possible 37 games for Clemson once he joined the team as a true freshman.
That said, Lawrence's missed games during his junior year weren't due to injury. They were because he had tested positive for COVID-19 during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. He had to sit out two contests because he hadn't cleared the NCAA's COVID protocols, so DJ Uiagalelei started in his place.
Since going pro, Lawrence has started every game that he has played. He started 17 games as a rookie, 19 in his second season and he has started 13 and counting his third season. All told, that's good for 49 consecutive starts, which is, incredibly, the second-longest active streak among quarterbacks behind only Josh Allen (92).
The Jaguars will be hoping that Lawrence can stay healthy for the rest of the 2023 NFL season as they prepare for a Super Bowl run. But the team has to feel good about his chances of doing that after his rapid recovery from that ankle malady.
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Trevor Lawrence injury history
Despite having not missed a game due to injury during his college and professional careers, Lawrence has a notable injury history.
Below is a run-down of the maladies that have impacted him throughout his career, per Draft Sharks.
Date | Injury |
Sept. 29, 2018 | Neck strain |
Sept. 7, 2019 | Shoulder bruise |
Nov. 7, 2021 | Low-ankle sprain |
Dec. 4, 2022 | Toe sprain |
Oct. 15, 2023 | Knee bruise |
Dec. 4, 2023 | High-ankle sprain |
Lawrence was unable to finish the game at Clemson during which he suffered a neck strain, and the same is true of the contest in which he suffered a high-ankle sprain with the Jaguars.
Aside from that, however, Lawrence has remained on the field and hasn't had to miss time because of these injuries. That's something that not many current NFL quarterbacks can claim, especially amid a year that has seen most of the league's starters get hurt at some point during the season.
The Jaguars will be hoping that Lawrence can avoid getting injured on awkward tackles moving forward, especially given his now-increasing history of foot, ankle and knee injuries. But as it stands, they have to be happy that his durability in high school and college has translated to the pros.