Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence was helped off the field late in the Jaguars’ game against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, and an initial report indicated he sprained his right ankle.
After the Bengals won 34-31 in overtime, NFL Network reported that the early diagnosis was a sprained ankle with an MRI exam to be performed Tuesday.
Speaking with reporters after the game, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson would not commit to any sort of diagnosis on Lawrence.
“I don’t have any information yet on Trevor,” he said. “We’re still evaluating him, you know, so we’ll have more tests and things done here tonight and tomorrow. So we’ll probably have a better update for you tomorrow on that.”
When asked for his level of concern about how long Lawrence could be out, Pederson said he would have to wait until he spoke with doctors.
Dropping back to pass on third-and-10 from the Bengals 23-yard line with less than six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Lawrence got lower right leg/ankle stepped on by left tackle Walker Little, who was blocking on the play.
Lawrence went to the ground and his right knee twisted under his body, with Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson credited with a sack. The third-year quarterback tried to walk off the field but after a couple of steps, went to a knee and slammed his helmet to the ground. The crowd at EverBank Stadium let out a groan when Lawrence went to his knee.
Lawrence was helped off the field and into the locker room by two members of the Jaguars’ staff but was barely able to put any weight on his right leg.
After the game, another NFL Network report stated that Lawrence was smiling with teammates after the game and that his ankle was not wrapped. He did use crutches for support while wearing a walking boot, according to the report.
Jaguars kicker Brandon McManus missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt on the next play that would have broken a 28-28 tie.
For the night, Lawrence completed 22 of 29 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns. He added five carries for 8 yards and another score.
C.J. Beathard entered in place of Lawrence and went 9 of 10 for 63 yards in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Lawrence has 3,004 yards passing, 14 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 94.4 passer rating on the season. He also has 248 yards rushing with four scores on the ground.
The Jaguars (8-4) were aiming to move to the No. 1 playoff spot in the AFC with a win.
The Bengals (6-6) started Jake Browning at quarterback with star Joe Burrow having been lost for the season last month.
–Field Level Media
