3 reasons the Jacksonville Jaguars may not make the playoffs in 2023

1. Trevor Lawrence's availability or lack thereof

Not only did the Jaguars fall to the Ravens at home, but they also lost Trevor Lawrence to a concussion. Lawrence is currently in concussion protocol and could potentially miss at least one game. Given that players are cleared by independent specialists, he won't have a chance to push through like he did when he played through ankle and knee injuries on past occasions.

Lawrence hasn't played well in recent weeks but he's also dealt with the aforementioned injuries, which have hindered his mobility. The fact that the offensive line has injuries of their own doesn't help matters, but Lawrence gives the Jaguars their best chance to win, and without him, they could have trouble putting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers down in Week 16.

The thing about concussions is that there's no timeline, so Lawrence could miss anything from just one week to the rest of the season. While C.J. Beathard is a good backup, it's uncertain if he could hold the fort during the three-week stretch ahead of the postseason.

Something else to take into consideration is that Nathan Rourke was claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots, making Beathard the only healthy quarterback on the Jaguars' roster. Jacksonville signed Rourke to the active roster before Week 14 because Lawrence was dealing with an ankle sprain, and there was no guarantee he was going to be able to suit up.

With Lawrence's status for Week 15 no longer in question, the Jags released Rourke, probably expecting to sign him back to the practice squad. However, the Patriots swooped in and claimed him first. So for the time being, the Jaguars are just one injury away from not having someone behind center.

With Lawrence in the mix, the Jaguars were struggling. Without him, they could be left out of the playoffs altogether.

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