The Jacksonville Jaguars may or may not get their starting quarterback back on the field for their crucial Week 18 game against the division rival Tennessee Titans. Lawrence is trying to give it a go knowing the AFC South title — and a playoff berth — is at stake on Sunday.
Per NFL Media, Lawrence is pushing to play, and the quarterback is not at risk of re-injury. The issue is about pain tolerance for Lawrence as he grinds through 60 minutes of football.
Lawrence is listed as questionable for the game, and head coach Doug Pederson said Friday that a decision on his status “might be all the way up to game time,” via NFL Media. Pederson did note that Lawrence “is progressing good” as he works his way back from the shoulder and finger injuries that kept him out of last week’s victory over the Carolina Panthers. Lawrence was limited in practices on Wednesday and Thursday after not practicing at all in the lead-up to the Week 17 game against Carolina.
If Lawrence ultimately cannot go, backup C.J. Beathard would be expected to fill in for him again. Beathard has gone 40 of 53 for 349 yards and one touchdown in his relief appearances this season. He had thrown just 13 passes in his previous two seasons as Lawrence’s backup.
As for the Jaguars, they currently occupy first place in the AFC South, thanks to holding tiebreakers over both the Colts and Texans due to head-to-head winning percentage. That means that if the Jags beat the Titans on Sunday, they will win the division and host a first-round playoff game. If they lose to Tennessee, they are out of the playoffs.
Having Lawrence under center would obviously go a long way toward helping Jacksonville capture a victory and a second consecutive playoff berth. His status will be important to watch heading into the weekend.
