Notable special teamers join Trevor Lawrence in initial Jaguars Week 13 injury report

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence isn't the only player who may not be available for the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13. Punter Logan Cooke and long snapper Ross Matisick are also dealing with injuries and joined No. 16 in the team's first injury report ahead of their divisional matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

Lawrence suffered a concussion in the 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans after being knocked out by linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. He was in protocol and missed Wednesday's practice before the team announced that he was being placed on the Injured Reserve list.

Head coach Doug Pederson was asked about his availability during his media availability session but didn't discuss much other than the addition of quarterback John Walford to the practice squad.

"Opportunity, he's been in the league. He's been with some good teams. With Trevor, obviously not practicing, being on the protocol right now," Pederson told the local media. "Having the third guy here, especially on the developmental practice squad, to help kind of give a look to the defense and for us to put our eyes on him and see what he can do."

The Jags announced Tuesday they added Walford to the practice squad. The move was a sign that Lawrence's immediate availability is in question. An undrafted free agent in 2021, Walford spent three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams and was part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad last year. Since being released in the offseason, he had stayed unsigned until Jacksonville brought him in.

With Lawrence out for the next four games, Mac Jones will make his third start of the season and C.J. Beathard will serve as the primary backup. To play, Walford will need to be elevated to the active roster via standard elevation before the game.

When he filled in for Lawrence in Week 13, Jones completed 62.5 percent of his throws for 235 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Aside from Walford, the Jags also signed punter Matt Haack and long snapper Tucker Addington to their practice squad.

Regarding the status of Matisick and Cooke, Pederson only said that neither would practice Wednesday.

"Both are on the injury report. Both guys won't practice today, so we just need to get the reps from that position, so these two guys, we brought them in to fill that need," Pederson said.

When asked later in the exchange if Matisick or Cooke would be out for an extended period of time, Pederson limited himself to saying that both of them have lower-body injuries. Here's the full media availability session.

Linebacker Yasir Abdullah (hamstring), and right guard Brandon Scherff (shoulder/knee) were limited participants Wednesday. Here's the full report.

Trevor Lawrence is a good bet to play for the Jaguars in Week 13

It's uncertain if Ross Matisick or Logan Cooke will play against the Tennessee Titans, but don't count on Trevor Lawrence to suit up for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Leaving aside that he was in concussion protocol, he's dealing with a shoulder sprain, and given that the team has already been eliminated from playoff contention, it didn't make sense to rush him back. Heck, you could even make the case that the former Clemson Tiger shouldn't have played in Week 13.

Either way, Mac Jones showed enough promise against the Houston Texans to make you think that he can keep the offense afloat. On the other hand, the Jaguars may want Cooke and Matisick to suit up in Week 14. After all, without them, the chance for snafus on special teams could increase.

At this point of the season, injuries usually start to pile up, but because the Jaguars are no longer in contention for a playoff spot, it may not matter. If anything, they need to give as much playing time as possible to young players to better assess them. That said, it would be great if Ross Matisick and Logan Cooke can return soon.

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