Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has been dealing with a shoulder injury. And based on recent comments by head coach Doug Pederson, Mac Jones will start for the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10.
Pederson met with the local media Friday and said Lawrence is trending toward not playing, pointing out that he's been limited in practice and may not be ready to go Sunday.
"Obviously, we got one more day today. He's been very limited all week," Pederson said. "It is trending in a way that's probably to not playing, or leaning towards not playing. But we'll see today where he's at. He felt good today, and Mac is ready to go if need to be."
Lawrence's availability against the Minnesota Vikings has been in question since he hurt his shoulder in the Week 9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. From the get-go, Pederson was non-commital about the star quarterback's status while Ian Rapoport of NFL Media first reported that he was weighing his options and was unlikely to play in Week 10.
If Lawrence sits out the game, Mac Jones will make his first start in Jaguars uniform. Pederson is confident the Jacksonville native will be up to the task.
"I've got a lot of confidence. He's somebody that prepares extremely hard, extremely well. He's a smart kid. You go back to even some of the preseason stuff and what he did then, as far as preparation and all that, and how he played, and he's gonna be fine. He'll be excited, obviously, home game, home, home crowd, home fans, his people, so to speak. But a lot of confidence," Pederson said.
A first-round pick in the 2021 draft, Jones was a Day one starter for the New England Patriots. He led his team to the playoffs and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. However, the coaching staff mismanaged his development, and he severely regressed the past two years. Having seen enough of him after the 2023 season, the Pats traded the Alabama product to the Jags in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
Jones has looked like a different player in Jacksonville, having re-gained the confidence he lost in Foxborough. Although he's only had mop-up duty in 2024, he was highly efficient in the preseason, completing 73.1 percent of his throws for 421 yards with three touchdowns.
While Jones hasn't had as many reps this season, he says he's learned a lot by watching Lawrence play and feels confident he'll deliver if he ultimately gets the call.
The Jaguars will have their work cut out with Mac Jones starting vs. the Vikings
There's a slight chance Trevor Lawrence will play in Week 10, but signs point towards Mac Jones getting the nod. Already, the spread went from favoring the Minnesota Vikings by 4.5 points to 7.0. That's a notable adjustment.
This is to say that even if Lawrence were healthy, the Jacksonville Jaguars were facing an uphill battle. Things have only gotten harder with Jones set to start. Then again, the team's brass traded for him precisely for situations like this one.
Ideally, Jones would like to play under more favorable circumstances, but that's the life of a backup. You're one injury away from seeing the field, and you must be ready to go at any time.
It's worth noting that Jones is slated to become a free agent next offseason, so he should be incentivized to play well. Teams looking for a quarterback next offseason will be watching, so he'll benefit from having a good game.
The bottom line is that NFL clubs cannot foresee injuries but they can prepare for them. The Jacksonville Jaguars are, and if Trevor Lawrence, they have a capable backup in Mac Jones.