3 reasons Trevor Lawrence must sit out the rest of the season, 2 he shouldn't
The Jacksonville Jaguars are 8-7 following their embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16. To make matters worse, Trevor Lawrence exited the game with a shoulder injury. Tests on Monday revealed it's a sprain but it's not thought to be serious.
While it's uncertain how much time Lawrence is set to miss out, there's a strong chance he'll do what he can to play, based on his willingness to push through injuries this season. He entered concussion protocol after the loss to the Baltimore Ravens but was cleared Saturday to play against the Buccaneers. Something similar happened in the loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Lawrence suffered an ankle sprain and was limited in practice on the days preceding the game against the Cleveland Browns. He was questionable to play but he ended up starting behind center. Same as Week 7, when he was dealing with a knee injury but still managed to suit up.
That's a concerning amount of injuries and a big reason Lawrence's play has been less than ideal in recent weeks. During the Jaguars' four-game losing streak, the third-year quarterback has completed 60.93 percent of his passes for 990 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. On top of that, he's fumbled five times and lost three of them.
It's fair to assume that injuries have hindered Lawrence's performance. This is why it may be in everybody's best interest to sit him out the rest of the season. Here are three reasons to do it, and two why he should start the rest of the way.
3 reasons the Jaguars must sit out Trevor Lawrence the rest of the 2023 season
3. Trevor Lawrence hasn't played well
Heading into the Buccaneers game, Doug Pederson told the media he would like Lawrence to start because he gives them the best chance to win. He then added that every team would make the same choice. That said, it's hard to justify keeping Lawrence on the field based on his performance.
Make no mistake, Lawrence has shown he's capable of playing at an absurd level but he isn't right now, and it's fair to recognize that. By resting him, he'll have the chance to recharge batteries and get a bit healthier for the playoffs — if the Jags qualify, of course.