It looks like Trevor Lawrence will keep his starting streak.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Lawrence has cleared concussion protocol and will travel to Tampa with the Jaguars to play the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Head coach Doug Pederson said on Friday that he thought the odds of Lawrence clearing concussion protocol were “better” than a coin flip. The quarterback is officially listed as questionable.
Lawrence has not missed a start since the Jaguars selected him at No. 1 overall in the 2021 draft. In 14 games this season, he’s completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,525 yards with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 300 yards with four TDs.
C.J. Beathard was in line to make his first start since 2020 if Lawrence had not been cleared.
After losing their last three games, the Jaguars could surely use a victory over the Bucs to keep pace with the Texans and Colts in the AFC South. Jacksonville will play Carolina at home and Tennessee on the road to finish the season.
The Jaguars got quarterback Trevor Lawrence back at practice Friday and they hope to have him in the lineup on Sunday as well.
Lawrence missed the first two days of practice this week, but his recovery from a concussion has progressed to the point that he was able to get on the field. Lawrence, who is also listed with an ankle injury, will need to clear the concussion protocol before the team travels to Tampa on Saturday and he’s officially considered questionable.
If Lawrence does not make the trip, C.J. Beathard will start at quarterback.
Wide receiver Zay Jones (knee, hamstring), cornerback Christian Braswell (hamstring), cornerback Tyson Campbell (quad), safety Andre Cisco (groin), and tight end Brenton Strange (foot) join Lawrence with questionable tags.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s bid to return from a concussion will move forward on Friday.
Head coach Doug Pederson said at his press conference that Lawrence will practice with the team. Lawrence did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday and Pederson said that the quarterback will do as much as he can “tolerate” during the final workout ahead of Sunday’s game in Tampa.
Lawrence remains in the concussion protocol and Pederson said he thinks the odds of him clearing it are “better” than a coin flip. That will have to happen before the Jaguars travel to Tampa on Saturday in order for Lawrence to play.
If he does not get the green light, C.J. Beathard will run the offense for the Jags as they try to help their chances of winning the AFC South for the second straight season.
It’s looking like C.J. Beathard will be behind center when the Jaguars take on the Buccaneers this weekend.
According to multiple reporters on the scene, Trevor Lawrence (concussion protocol) is not on the field for Thursday’s portion of practice open to media. That makes it more likely that Lawrence will miss the first game of his NFL career.
Beathard almost had to start Jacksonville’s Week 14 loss to Cleveland and the Week 7 win over the Saints on Thursday night, as Lawrence was dealing with injuries before those contests. But Lawrence was still able to play in those games.
Beathard has completed 12-of-14 passes for 77 yards in five appearances this season. He hasn’t started a game since 2020 when he was with the 49ers.
Multiple reporters also noted receiver Zay Jones was not practicing as he deals with a hamstring injury.
Jacksonville’s full Thursday injury report will be released later in the day.
The reason why Buccaneers linebacker Devin White was inactive for last Sunday’s win over the Packers continues to be a talking point around the team.
White was listed as questionable due to the foot injury that he’s been dealing with in recent weeks, but he practiced fully last Thursday and Friday and reports on Sunday indicated that he was scratched because of a team decision rather than the injury. Head coach Todd Bowles said after the win that White said he couldn’t go and that the reason for White missing the game was “a question for him but I’m sure he’d say his foot was sore.”
That fueled more speculation that K.J. Britt getting the start played a role in White being inactive and Bowles said on Monday that the team decided he would not play on Saturday, but did not disclose the change to White’s status.
On Wednesday, White had his turn with reporters and said, via Greg Auman of Fox Sports, that he felt discomfort in his foot and is “just trying to get back to being as me as possible.” White said he didn’t like seeing people say he quit on the team and that he doesn’t know why there’s been incorrect information circulating about him.
“I can only speak from what I know and what I went through and what I personally deal with,” White said, via Pewter Report. “I know I don’t have to tell no lies. It is what it is. Somebody might want to give you something to talk about to make the Bucs be talked about. Baker [Mayfield] went crazy last week and we’re talking about Devin White. I don’t think I should’ve even been mentioned in a game where I didn’t play, didn’t contribute none besides being the biggest cheerleader that I could be in Green Bay.”
White said he has no issues with Bowles, who he called a “father figure,” and said he appreciated that the coach wants him to be as healthy as he can be ahead of a return to action. That may be imminent as Bowles said Wednesday that the expectation is that White will play against the Jaguars this weekend.
