An EverBank Stadium crowd taking in the Jaguars' first "Monday Night Football" game in 12 years was brought to a whisper when Trevor Lawrence suffered a significant ankle injury in the fourth quarter of Jacksonville's game against the Bengals.
Here are the latest updates on Lawrence's injury suffered against the Bengals.
What happened to Trevor Lawrence?
Facing an unexpectedly tough challenge from Cincinnati, Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars were facing a key third down when a nightmare scenario unfolded. OT Walker Little was pushed into Lawrence, stepping on the franchise quarterback's ankle and causing Lawrence to go down in a heap.
Jaguars’ QB Trevor Lawrence was helped to the locker room after injuring his ankle on this play: pic.twitter.com/P1uYmgth2w
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 5, 2023
Lawrence's knee also appeared to bend awkwardly during the play, and he needed assistance to leave the field.
Former 49ers QB C.J. Beathard entered the game for the Jaguars with the team trailing in the final minutes, but the concern of the fans was just as much with Lawrence as it was with the end of the game.
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Trevor Lawrence injury update
Lawrence couldn't put much weight on his injured leg on his way off the field and down the tunnel. His initial reaction to the injury was concerning, as he tried to stand up before falling back down to the ground and slamming his helmet.
Minutes after he left the field, the Jaguars announced Lawrence was questionable to return with an ankle injury.
NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported that Lawrence underwent X-rays and still wasn't putting any weight on his ankle as he went into the X-ray room.
Trevor Lawrence just came back into the Jaguars X-ray room. He was being helped in by 2 trainers not putting any apparent weight on his leg/ankle.
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) December 5, 2023
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero provided a seemingly positive update on Lawrence, reporting that the initial diagnosis is an ankle sprain. While still a potentially significant injury, the report seems to indicate fears of a fracture won't come to fruition.
ESPN's Adam Schefter also confirmed a sprain is the initial diagnosis. Lawrence will undergo additional testing Tuesday.
The initial diagnosis for #Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is an ankle sprain, per sources. He'll have an MRI on Tuesday.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 5, 2023
On Tuesday, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson told reporters Lawrence is dealing with a high-ankle sprain and the ankle is stable. Lawrence hasn't yet been ruled out for Week 14. While he might not be likely to play on a short week for Jacksonville, the mere fact he hasn't been ruled out reiterates that he's not facing a season-ending injury.
Lawrence seemed confident that he would eventually return to the lineup. However, he wanted to do so when he was closer to full strength to avoid putting his team at a disadvantage.
"I’ll never put myself or the team at higher risk that we aren’t going to do our best, because I can’t do my job," Lawrence told reporters at a news conference Wednesday after he was a non-participant at practice.
The Jaguars entered Week 13 in control of the AFC South, but the Colts and Texans have remained within striking distance. Any missed time for Lawrence would threaten Jacksonville's spot atop the division, though the team would certainly rather miss him for a handful of weeks than lose him for the remainder of the season.
