QB Trevor Lawrence – Jaguars had cart available; I refused it

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence wanted to make it abundantly clear: The team had a cart to take him off the field after he injured his right ankle against Cincinnati on Monday night.

He just didn't want to use it.

Lawrence said Wednesday that he was fairly close to the tunnel entrance and felt like it would be quicker for him to walk with assistance to the locker room and X-ray facility from EverBank Stadium than waiting for the cart to make its way through the extra. material to achieve it. So that’s what he did – although he admitted he might have had regrets.

“We talked about getting a cart and I was going to get one and then I'm standing there and I'm already on the sideline at that point, the tunnel is right there, I just wanted to get off the field, get out get out of there,” Lawrence said. “I didn't know what was going on with my ankle and I felt like I could get through it [the field]. I was like, “Hey, you're okay. Don't bring it out. I go in.'

“And then once I got there [the hallway], I say to myself: “That’s quite a long walk. » They asked me again if I wanted a cart. I'm like, 'No, we're going to make it to the end.'”

Television images of Lawrence, with people under each arm helping him, walking through the tunnel and hallway of EverBank Stadium, drew criticism on social media, television and radio. Jaguars punter Logan Cooke defended the team on social media by lashing out at one of the most notable critics.

Lawrence found it ridiculous that people thought the Jaguars wouldn't have a cart available for an injured player.

“We have everything we need, and I'm the one who didn't choose to take [a cart], so you blamed it on me,” he said. “Maybe it was stupid. Maybe I should have gotten one, but that has nothing to do with the fact that we don't have a cart available. I don’t think that would happen in the National Football League, especially here with the team we have.”

Lawrence said Wednesday that his right ankle feels much better than expected two days after suffering a sprained ankle. The injury occurred when left tackle Walker Little stepped on Lawrence's foot and the quarterback had him pinned under him when he fell.

He's happy with how his rehab has gone so far and hopes it continues and he can be cleared to play for the Browns on Sunday.

“I really just take it one day at a time,” Lawrence said. “I'm trying to do as much as I can every day without making things worse or making things worse, but trying to progress, hopefully, through playing. And over the last 48 hours, there's been great progress and I'm really happy with how it's going.healing.

“So, we'll see. You know, I obviously can't give any answers right now and I'm just going to take my time and do everything right.”

There is precedent for returning a week after suffering a high ankle sprain. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes started the 2022 AFC Championship Game against the Bengals eight days after suffering the injury against the Jaguars in a divisional playoff game. He was able to practice fully the Thursday before the Bengals game, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid announced game week Friday that Mahomes would start.

Mahomes went 29-for-43 for 326 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the Chiefs' 23-20 victory.

It's a bit of a different situation for Lawrence as the Jaguars won't have their top pass catcher (receiver Christian Kirk is out with a groin injury) and could also start at third left tackle if Little (hamstring) is unable to play. .

“I don’t want to compare two injuries,” coach Doug Pederson said. “Two different people [and] playing a conference championship game versus a regular season game are two different things. But obviously they felt like – being the Chiefs – that he was good, that he couldn't get hurt any more, and obviously he played. This is the case here. We want to make sure that before we put him on the field, like this week, he's able to not get hurt again.”

Pederson said Lawrence would not play unless there was no chance he could cause further damage to his right ankle. Being in a tight division race — the Jaguars (8-4) are one game ahead of the Texans and Colts — and contending for the playoffs won't have any bearing on that decision either.

“It’s our job to protect these players and make sure [putting them back on the field] “It’s not at the cost of winning a football game,” Pederson said. “And yeah, we're in that last kind of month of the year where we're making our run, but we also know that if Trevor can “If I don't play this game, there will come a time when it will be.

“We all need to come together to weather this storm a little bit so that when, if there is a time when he comes back, we can make that effort with him.”

Backup quarterback CJ Beathard, who would start against the Browns if Lawrence was unable to play, was limited in practice Wednesday because of an injury to his left (non-throwing shoulder). He said he was injured when he fell on it after a scrimmage on his first play after entering Monday's game.