Trevor Lawrence ruled out; Jags turn to C.J. Beathard at QB،
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will not play against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday due to a sprained right AC joint, a shoulder injury he suffered in the loss last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It's the first game Lawrence misses since being drafted first overall in 2021, ending a streak of 49 consecutive starts that tied him with Patrick Mahomes for the second-longest active streak among the quarters.
CJ Beathard will make his first start since the final game of the 2020 regular season with the San Francisco 49ers.
Lawrence didn't practice at all this week due to an injury to his throwing shoulder, although he was absent at Wednesday's practice in shorts and a hoodie.
Sunday is a crucial game for the Jaguars (8-7), who have lost four in a row and are tied atop the AFC South with the Texans and Colts. They could clinch the division title and their playoff berth if they beat the Panthers (2-13) and the Texans and Colts both lose on Sunday. A loss to the Panthers does not eliminate them from the playoffs, however.
According to ESPN analytics, the Jaguars have an 80.3 percent chance of making the playoffs and a 68.8 percent chance of winning the division heading into Sunday's game.
Lawrence was injured late in the third quarter of the loss to the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium when he dove for a first down on a fourth-and-1 play. He ended that series, which ended with a pass 18-yard touchdown run to Calvin Ridley, but then went to the bench.
Beathard replaced Lawrence and completed 11 of 15 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. It was the second time Beathard replaced the injured Lawrence in a game this season. He also stepped in after Lawrence suffered a high ankle sprain in his right leg against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 4 and completed 9 of 10 passes for 63 yards.
Beathard played in 12 games in his three seasons with the Jaguars as Lawrence's backup, completing 76.2 percent of his passes for 239 yards and one touchdown with one interception.
He was 2-10 as a starter in three seasons with San Francisco. In his last start, in 2020 against the Seattle Seahawks, he threw for 273 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers' 26-23 loss. He also started the week before and passed for 182 yards and three touchdowns in a 20-12 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
The right AC joint sprain is the fourth injury Lawrence has suffered this season. He sprained his left knee late in a win over the Colts in Week 6, but led the Jaguars to a win over the New Orleans Saints four days later on a Thursday night. He also suffered a sprained ankle against Cincinnati, a concussion against Baltimore on Dec. 17 and a shoulder injury on Sunday.
