The Jacksonville Jaguars‘ Super Bowl hopes — and the makeup of the AFC playoff picture — may have unfortunately been altered as a result of injury. Trevor Lawrence went down in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, potentially changing the outlook for the rest of the Jaguars’ season.
Trevor Lawrence Injury Update
The Bengals and Jaguars were tied at 28 with just under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when Lawrence went down after being sacked by Cincinnati pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
Jacksonville left tackle Walker Little stepped on Lawrence’s right ankle during the play. The former No. 1 pick was awkwardly bent backward and was clearly in immense pain. Lawrence slammed his helmet to the ground before two trainers helped him off the field.
#Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence went down after getting his lower leg stepped on and rolling over on it. Play has been stopped as he gets checked out on the field. pic.twitter.com/P2StOBxRFF
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) December 5, 2023
ESPN’s broadcast showed Lawrence being assisted down the tunnel to the Jaguars locker room. He appeared unable to put much weight on his right leg.
However, Jacksonville has listed Lawrence as questionable to return with an ankle injury. ESPN reported he was undergoing X-rays.
After the game, NFL Network reported that Lawrence was diagnosed with a sprained ankle. He will undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
Lawrence had been in the midst of one of his best games of the season, completing 22 of 29 attempts for 258 yards and two touchdowns while adding another score on a quarterback sneak.
#Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence suffered a game-ending injury on #MNF. @SeanWalshPT reviews the film on what happened.#PFN365 pic.twitter.com/3QN612MdxF
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) December 5, 2023
C.J. Beathard is Lawrence’s backup and took over on the Jaguars’ next offensive drive. Beathard, 30, started 12 games over three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers before joining Jacksonville in 2021.
Lawrence has never missed a game during his NFL career, so Beathard has only entered blowouts and has attempted just 17 passes over the past three years.
Fantasy Fallout From Lawrence’s Injury
Fantasy managers who stuck with Lawrence through his slow start of the 2023 season may have to make other plans for the quarterback position. Lawrence was having his best three-game stretch of the season, averaging 313 passing yards and three total scores per game in the two weeks heading into Week 13.
If Beathard is Jacksonville’s quarterback moving forward, Calvin Ridley, Evan Engram, and Zay Jones’ fantasy value will take a hit against the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens in the next two games.
— PFN Fantasy Analyst Derek Tate