Why shutting down Trevor Lawrence is the best path forward for the Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence showed just how much the Jacksonville Jaguars needed him when he sat out the Week 10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. During his absence, Mac Jones barely cleared the 100-yard mark and the offense had the ball for less than 20 minutes, only the second time in team history such thing has happened.

While head coach Doug Pederson recently shut down speculation about No. 16 getting shoulder surgery, that's probably the best thing the Jags can do without much to play for — aside from draft positioning — in what's left of the 2024 season.

Lawrence hurt his shoulder in the Week 9 loss to the Green Bay Packers. A few days later, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media broke the news that he was weighing his options. Former NFL offensive coordinator Jay Gruden caught wind of the report and was quick to say that the fourth-year quarterback would be getting surgery.

Rapoport responded to Gruden, saying that no surgery had been scheduled at the time. However, he had opened the can of worms and the media started to talk about Lawrence shutting down for the year. Head coach Doug Pederson was asked about it and told the press corps that it would be up to the medical staff to make the decision.

Heading into the Vikings game, Rapoport reported that Lawrence's injury was a shoulder sprain. Not long after, Dianna Russini of The Athletic said that the former Clemson Tiger could decide to play through injury but didn't rule out the possibility of being done for the year.

Following the loss to Minnesota, Pederson was once again asked about the possibility of No. 16 getting a procedure done, and said that not at the moment, wondering where they had gotten the idea from.

You could probably track back the idea of Larwence getting surgery to Gruden. But regardless of the source, it shouldn't be ruled out. After all, it isn't a wild theory. He's indeed dealing with a sprain, and a procedure might be necessary. That doesn't mean that it will happen but it's certainly an option, one the Jaguars should consider.

Why the Jaguars could benefit from shutting Trevor Lawrence down for the season

The Jacksonville Jaguars made a massive investment in Trevor Lawrence when they gave him a five-year deal worth $275 million in the offseason. While he's been far from great since putting his John Hancock on the contract, the rest of the team isn't doing much better. Heading into Week 11, they're 2-8 and there's going to be a chance they add another loss to their record when they play the Detroit Lions. Currently, they're a 13-point underdog.

Without much to play for in what's left of the season, Lawrence could choose to make a business decision. Why expose himself to further injury when the team isn't going to get much done? On top of that, it looks like he's not on great terms with head coach Doug Pederson, and if his relationship has indeed soured, the Knoxville, Tennessee native could just wait until someone who will put him in a position to succeed arrives.

It's worth noting that Lawrence isn't the kind of player that would bail on his teammates. Then again, he needs to do what's in his best interest, and that may be getting a procedure done on his shoulder.

You could argue that he would be taking a selfish path, but clubs all the time do what's best for them, why shouldn't Steezy Trev do the same for once?

More Jaguars analysis here: