JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence avoided a major injury to his knee in Sunday’s win over the Colts and remains day to day, coach Doug Pederson said Monday.
Will Trevor or won’t Trevor play on a short week at the Saints on Thursday night? When will Pederson have a decision on that?
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“7:20, kickoff on Thursday night,” Pederson said. “I’ll be in Central time.”
Jacksonville romped to a 37-20 win over Indianapolis, but the win was tempered with a handful of injuries, the biggest coming to Lawrence. Pederson said that right guard Brandon Scherff (ankle) and Lawrence were “both are feeling better today ... they’re sore.”
Pederson didn’t delve into specifics on Lawrence’s knee injury and was evasive when pressed about it. When asked if Lawrence would play against the Saints on Thursday night, Pederson repeated that “he’s day to day.”
If Lawrence can’t play at New Orleans, C.J. Beathard would get the start. Nathan Rourke is the team’s other quarterback, but he’s on the practice squad. Pederson said that if Lawrence can’t go against the Saints, then Beathard would make the start. Beathard is 2-10 as a starter, all of those with San Francisco. He has appeared in eight games in Jacksonville, all in mop up duty.
“Yeah, a lot of confidence in C.J. if that’s the case. He prepares himself each week as if he is the starter. He does a great job in game with Trevor, obviously the communication there,” Pederson said. “I’ve seen it the last year and a half being around him and his career. A lot of confidence in him and I know he’ll be ready just like he always is.”
Added left tackle Cam Robinson: “Well, we trust C.J., he’s been here for us for a couple of years now. We’ve got all the faith and all the trust in him in the world. If Trevor can’t go and C.J. has to go, our expectations and what we expect from ourselves offensively and as a team don’t change.”
Cornerback Tyson Campbell is likely out for the Week 7 game with a hamstring injury. The team signed cornerback Amani Oruwariye to the practice squad Monday, potentially an indication that it needs to add depth at that position. Oruwariye had spent the first part of the season on the Giants practice squad. Jacksonville released draft pick Derek Parish from the practice squad to sign Oruwariye. Campbell, Lawrence, Scherff, receiver Zay Jones and Walker Little all missed practice Monday.
Lawrence was injured in the game’s final minutes when he rolled to his left and was dragged down by Indianapolis defensive end Samson Ebukam for a 17-yard loss. Lawrence grabbed his left knee and stayed down on the field before being tended to and walking off under his own power.
He was checked out on the sideline by the team’s medical staff and was designated questionable to return. Up 34-20 at the time of injury, there was no need for Lawrence to go back out. Jacksonville kicked a field goal after that for the final margin, and Beathard took the final knees on the final three snaps to end the game.
Lawrence spoke after the game and said that his knee felt a “little bit bruised.”
“Yeah, just felt something, you know, just some discomfort in my knee when I went down. I don’t know if it was twisted or landed on or what,” Lawrence said. “I kind of felt it right away. Put a little pressure on it. Realized I could get up. So I was just trying to get up and get off the field. Yeah, that’s all it was there.”