NFL voice urges Jaguars to sit down Trevor Lawrence the remainder of the season

Although the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Houston Texans Sunday, it wasn't until the Denver Broncos thumped the Cleveland Browns on Monday Football that they were officially eliminated from playoff contention. With five games on the schedule and not much to play for, the Jags must strongly consider shutting Trevor Lawrence the remainder of the year. Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report believes that's the best course of action.

Ballentine went over every AFC team's needs following Week 13 and suggests Jacksonville hold Lawrence out the remainder of the season, pointing out that they're better off letting him recover and get ready for the 2025 season.

"The Jaguars have five games left this season. Trevor Lawrence has plenty of time to clear concussion protocol and play again in 2024, but there isn't much point to it. The offensive line clearly needs to be reworked, and the Jaguars aren't in contention for a playoff spot.

Mac Jones came in and kept the Jaguars in the game this week. Giving him the ability to close out the season over the final five games could be an audition for a backup position moving forward, or he could make his case to become a starter elsewhere next season. It's time to let Lawrence heal up and get ready for 2025."

Lawrence is in concussion protocol after suffering a dirty blow from Texas linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair Sunday. A brawl ensued after the dirty hit, and several players from both sides were subsequently ejected from the game.

Head coach Doug Pederson says Lawrence is doing fine, but even before he got hit, he was already dealing with other ailments. More specifically, he had a shoulder sprain that required surgery.

The former Clemson Tiger originally got hurt in Week 9 and missed two games. The Bye gave him extra time off to rest and get back to practice. While the injury was on his non-throwing shoulder, he still had to play through pain, which is why he didn't rule out getting a procedure done in-season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars must do what's best for franchise QB Trevor Lawrence

Now that the Jaguars have been eliminated from playoff contention, the Jacksonville Jaguars shouldn't expose Trevor Lawrence to further risk. Heck, you could even make the case that he shouldn't have played against the Houston Texans to begin with.

Granted, Lawrence isn't the kind of player who will let his teammates on their own, and if he can play, even if it's through pain, he will. That said, the organization must take a smart approach to his injury. Last year, the Knoxville, Tennessee native kept suiting up despite the fact that he dealt with a series of non-related ailments: Knee, ankle, and shoulder injuries. But it wasn't until he suffered a concussion that he finally rested a game, but it shouldn't have come to that.

By the end of 2023, Lawrence was so worn down that he confessed he didn't truly feel 100 percent until March. One reason he probably played despite the injuries was that the Jaguars still had a chance to make the playoffs and didn't have anyone else who could get them in.

This time, though, Jacksonville has already been eliminated from contention and has Mac Jones in the fold. Filling in for Lawrence in Week 13, the former Alabama product kept the offense afloat and was inches away from pulling off the upset. Even if he's far from a top-notch quarterback, he can potentially hold the fort during Lawrence's absence.

The bottom line is that Trevor Lawrence could have the urge to play, but the Jacksonville Jaguars must intercede and do what's best for everyone. That means shutting him down for the remainder of the season so he can be at full strength next year.

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