After making 49 consecutive starts since he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will miss Sunday’s game against the visiting Carolina Panthers due to a sprained right shoulder.
Lawrence, 24, suffered the injury to his right AC joint in last Sunday’s 30-12 loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. C.J. Beathard will replace Lawrence, who didn’t practice all week, and make his first start since the final game of the 2020 season with the San Francisco 49ers.
The Jaguars (8-7) have lost four in a row to fall into a three-way tie for first place in the AFC South with the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans.
If the Jaguars beat the Panthers (2-13), and the Colts and Texans lose Sunday, Jacksonville would clinch the division title. The Jaguars close the regular season at the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 7.
Lawrence’s streak of 49 straight starts was tied with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the second longest active streak at the position.
The injury occurred late in the third quarter against the Buccaneers when Lawrence dove for a first down on a fourth-and-1 play. He stayed in and eventually threw an 18-yard touchdown to Calvin Ridley to finish the drive but sat out the rest of the game.
Beathard, 30, was 11-for-15 passing for 94 yards and a touchdown after Lawrence’s injury. Beathard also relieved Lawrence after the latter suffered a right ankle sprain against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 4, completing 9 of 10 passes for 63 yards.
In 12 games over three seasons as Lawrence’s backup, Beathard has completed 76.2 percent of his passes for 239 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. In three seasons with the 49ers, Beathard was 2-10 as a starter.
It’s been a painful season for Lawrence, who has now dealt with four injuries in 2023. In a win against the Colts on Oct. 15, he sprained his left knee. In addition to the high ankle sprain against the Bengals, he suffered a concussion against the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 17.
In 15 games this season, Lawrence has completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 3,736 yards, along with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
–Field Level Media
