JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Trevor Lawrence is on the mend and feeling much better than he thought he would after suffering a high ankle sprain during a Monday night loss to the Bengals.
“I feel a lot better than I would have thought I’d feel,” Lawrence said Wednesday. “I’m very fortunate. I’m thankful that it wasn’t a worse injury than what I kind of thought it was on the field. So, I’m thankful for that.”
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Will he play on Sunday against the Browns (7-5) as the Jaguars (8-4) look to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Cincinnati? Lawrence said the approach is to see how he feels this week and then consult with the team’s medical staff on the options. Coach Doug Pederson said that he wouldn’t put a timetable on Lawrence’s return.
“It’s always a collaborative process. You know, you don’t want to take any further risk, especially where we’re at in the season. You want to be able to play through the rest of the year and into the playoffs,” Lawrence said. “So, that’s something on your mind as well. But if I can be out there and I can be myself for the most part, then I’m going to be out there. A I don’t have the answer right now, but that’s just how I think and how I view things.”
Lawrence was in a similar position before Jacksonville’s Thursday night game against New Orleans. He suffered a knee sprain in a Week 6 game against the Colts and was a game-time call to play in that game. Lawrence not only played but had a career-high 59 rushing yards on eight carries.
Lawrence also responded to critic Colin Cowherd, who took a shot at Jacksonville, saying it was embarrassing that the Jaguars didn’t put Lawrence on a cart after his injury.
“You don’t have a cart? It’s Florida, everybody owns a golf cart... Maybe you should move to Orlando because you’re such a Mickey Mouse operation,” Cowherd said on his show.
Lawrence said that he had the opportunity to get on a cart, but waved it off.
“I’m already on the sideline at that point, the tunnel is right there. I just wanted to get off the field, get out of there. I didn’t know what was going on with my ankle and I felt like I could get off. I was like, ‘Hey, you’re good, just don’t bring it out,’” Lawrence said. “I’m going in and then once I got in there, I’m like, this is a pretty long walk. But I was already there, and they asked again if I wanted a cart. I’m like, ‘No, we’re going to make it the whole way there.’ Didn’t know there was cameras in the tunnels. ... I was the one that didn’t choose to take one, so let’s put that on me. And maybe that was dumb. Maybe I should have taken one, whatever.”
Lawrence went down awkwardly late in Monday’s 34-31 overtime loss to the Bengals when offensive tackle Walker Little stepped on his ankle on a play where Lawrence likely would have targeted rookie Parker Washington. But Washington didn’t run the proper route and Lawrence had to hold on to the ball. His foot bent awkwardly and rolled inward, and Lawrence was in noticeable pain.
Lawrence attempted to get up but went back down to the ground and slammed his hand on the turf in frustration. Lawrence was helped off to the locker room. After the game, Lawrence was in the locker room and appeared in good spirits but used the aid of crutches to help support himself. Lawrence has started all 46 regular season games in his Jaguars career and two more in the playoffs.