Jaguars say QB Trevor Lawrence has high ankle sprain

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered a sprained right ankle against the Cincinnati Bengals Monday night but escaped further injury, coach Doug Pederson said Tuesday .

Pederson said the Jaguars will evaluate Lawrence later in the week and he wouldn't completely rule out the possibility of Lawrence playing Sunday.

“I’m not going to impose that timetable on Trevor,” Pederson said Tuesday afternoon. “I’m not going to put him in a box like that, but we’ll see how he’s doing in a few days.”

Pederson said he doesn't think Lawrence will need surgery on his ankle, which Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett underwent earlier this week to speed up the healing process.

“I haven’t had any discussions with the doctors about this,” Pederson said. “I do not think so [surgery] is a necessary means at this stage. Because of where it is in the ankle, it's not necessarily something that warrants surgery at this point. »

However, the news isn't as good for wide receiver Christian Kirk, who suffered a muscle injury early in Monday's overtime loss to the Bengals that Pederson said may require surgery.

Lawrence was injured late in the fourth quarter when left tackle Walker Little was pushed backwards and stepped on Lawrence's ankle, which then appeared to trap beneath him as he fell to the ground. Lawrence tried to get up, then dropped to his knees and slammed his helmet on the ground in frustration.

Lawrence was assisted from the field by medical personnel and required the support of a person under each arm as he walked through the tunnel toward the Jaguars locker room and X-ray area. He left the stadium wearing walking boots and crutches.

Lawrence had thrown for 258 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another score against the Bengals before his injury. He was replaced by CJ Beathard, who completed 9 of 10 passes for 63 yards. Lawrence's 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter made him the first player in franchise history to have a passing and rushing touchdown in three consecutive games.

Beathard, 2-10 as a starter in his career, would start for Cleveland on Sunday if Lawrence didn't play. Pederson said the team has not yet had discussions about bringing in other quarterbacks for practice this week.

Lawrence has already appeared to suffer serious injuries twice, but he returned to the game almost immediately. He suffered a left knee sprain late in the Jaguars' Week 3 win over the Indianapolis Colts, but he didn't miss a start and led the Jaguars to a win over the New York Saints. -Orléans four days later, on a Thursday evening.

He injured his toe against the Detroit Lions last season, but returned in the second half and played the rest of the game. He wore a protective device in his shoe and didn't miss a start after that, leading the Jaguars to five straight wins to win the AFC South and a wild-card round victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Lawrence has started all 46 possible games since being drafted No. 1 in 2021, which is tied for the third-longest streak of active starts among quarterbacks, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Josh Allen (83) and Justin Herbert (61) have the two longest streaks while Lawrence is tied with Patrick Mahomes.

Kirk is the Jaguars' leader in receiving yards (787 yards) and was on pace to become the third player in franchise history to record multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons. His 57 catches rank second on the team behind tight end Evan Engram (73).

Rookie Parker Washington would take over much of Kirk's duties in the slot. He had six catches for 61 yards and a touchdown after Kirk was injured on the Jaguars' first offensive snap, but he also ran an incorrect route on the play in which Lawrence was injured.

Lawrence wanted a quick throw to Washington, who had a free release off the line of scrimmage and space around him. But Washington continued to run down the field instead of cutting inside or outside and Lawrence pulled the ball downfield, which is when Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson drove Little into Lawrence .

Little also suffered a left hamstring strain in the game and his status for Sunday is uncertain, so it's possible the Jaguars could face the league's top-ranked total defense without three critical offensive starters.