The Houston Texans will be without a key member of their defense after defenseman Jalen Pitre suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Sunday's 32-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Will the Jacksonville Jaguars prevail? It depends on the status of quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has missed the last two games with a shoulder injury.
Lawrence, a former No. 1 pick, injured his left shoulder two weeks ago against the Philadelphia Eagles. He never left the game, finishing 16 of 31 for 169 yards with two interceptions and running for two touchdowns.
In the last two weeks, the Clemson alum was sidelined in games against the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, giving backup quarterback Mac Jones the starting job.
Will Sunday be the third game in a row that he misses? Here's the latest on Lawrence's status against the Texans.
Trevor Lawrence injury update
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson told reporters Monday that Lawrence would return to the practice field after missing the last two games with a non-throwing shoulder injury.
“Trevor will practice today and then we’ll see where he goes from there,” Pederson said.
The fourth-year coach made no commitment that Lawrence would play in Sunday's game against the AFC South favorite, stating that he would only practice that day. Lawrence could be limited on Thursday and Friday, signaling Jones could be the starter again.
“We’ll see where Trevor is today, then he’ll have tomorrow off. Come in for treatment and see how he's doing and how he's feeling on Wednesday. He’s feeling better today, so that’s positive,” Pederson said.
Monday was a step forward for the franchise signal-caller. He had not stepped on the practice field since Week 10 before the team's game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Lawrence did not practice at all in Week 11 before the team's game against the Detroit Lions and had limited practice during the team's bye.
Trevor Lawrence's injury history
Since being drafted by Clemson in 2021, Lawrence has started 59 of a possible 62 games. He previously missed Week 17 of the 2023 season against the Carolina Panthers due to injury.
Lawrence suffered ankle, knee, shoulder and head injuries during the 2023 season and missed most of the team's practices, in whole or in part, in the final six games of the year. However, he only missed one game before the 2024 season.
Who would start instead of Lawrence?
Should Lawrence miss a third game, Jones is expected to start. While the numbers are disappointing, Jones wasn't the biggest problem in Jacksonville's woes in a 2-9 season.
While he has an 0-2 record as a starter, Jones has completed 60.78% of his passes for 249 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions. The Jaguars have scored a total of 13 points in losses to the Vikings and Lions in their last two meetings.
Trevor Lawrence stats
Even before the injury, Lawrence's fourth year had been something of a rollercoaster. Through nine games, Lawrence has completed 61.3% of his passes for 2,004 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions.
In Lawrence's last five games, he completed 67.76% of his passes for 1,276 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions.
Jaguars depth chart
Here's a look at how the Jaguars' depth chart factors into Sunday's home game against the Texans. With a win, Jacksonville would survive elimination from the playoffs for at least another week.
- QB1: Trevor Lawrence (O-Shoulder)
- QB2: Mac Jones
- QB3: CJ Beathard
- Training group: John Rhys Plumlee
Kickoff at EverBank Stadium is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CT.
