Don’t Count Trevor Lawrence Out for Sunday’s Game vs Vikings
On paper, the Minnesota Vikings have one of their easiest matchups of the season arriving Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s a road game, which always presents unique challenges, but early indications point to former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence missing the Vikings matchup due to a left shoulder injury.
Earlier this week, his head coach, Doug Pederson, admitted his starting quarterback was “trending” toward not playing on Sunday. But the injury is to his non-throwing shoulder, which could open the door for Lawrence to be in the starting lineup instead of former first-round bust Mac Jones.
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NFL source ‘wouldn’t count’ Trevor Lawrence out versus Vikings
Even though Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars have had their fair share of struggles this season after a 2-7 start, he gives them their best chance to win, injured or not. But the Jags have to be careful while trying to make an already injured shoulder even worse.
Having just two wins entering Week 10 has to be frustrating enough, but missing a game due to an injury? It comes at a terrible time for a team on a two-game losing streak, but one source suggests we shouldn’t rule out the one-time Pro Bowl QB just yet.
“The status of Trevor Lawrence (left shoulder) appears more week-to-week than day-to-day, with Jacksonville’s Week 12 bye looming. If Jacksonville is 2-9 at the bye, does it really want to put him in there at all? Will he need surgery in the offseason? Lawrence, for one, does want to play. “Wouldn’t count Trevor out. Tough dude,” one source said.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Trevor Lawrence
Lawrence showed that last season, playing through injuries late in the season. But he also sat out practice time as a result, which affected his performance and the team’s ability to win. The Jags know he needs the reps to prepare for Sundays. So there’s much to consider as the Jaguars plot out their November.”
Lawrence became the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. To no surprise, he became an immediate starter. What wasn’t known at the time was just how tough and resilient Lawrence was.
Now, four seasons into his NFL career, Lawrence has only ever missed one start with the Jaguars. It came in Week 17 of the 2023 season when he suffered an AC joint sprain, which was also to his left shoulder. So when an unknown source suggests we shouldn’t rule Lawrence out just yet, it holds more gravity considering he’s started 59 games in four seasons.
But then again, only Lawrence and the Jaguars’ staff knows just how serious his current injury is, and how much pain he’s dealing with. If there’s a greater chance of making his injury worse, don’t expect a non-competitive team to put their franchise cornerstone in harm’s way. But we might have to wait until the reveal of Sunday’s inactive list to know whether the Vikings will face Lawrence or Mac Jones.
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