Trevor Lawrence suffers ankle injury, exits Jaguars game vs. Bengals
Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4) quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered an apparent ankle injury in the Week 13 home matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals (6-6) Monday.
Lawrence sustained the injury in the fourth quarter after getting his right ankle stepped on by his own offensive lineman while standing in the pocket. Lawrence needed assistance getting to his feet before collapsing back down to the ground. The 24-year-old slammed his helmet in frustration before being helped off the field and taken into the locker room for further examination.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Lawrence has been diagnosed with an ankle sprain. He will undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
Veteran backup C.J. Beathard replaced Lawrence under center. Prior to exiting the game, Lawrence completed 22-of-29 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately for the Jaguars, Beathard was unable to lead the team to victory. The Bengals defeated the Jaguars, 34-31, after Evan McPherson nailed a 48-yard game-winning field goal in overtime.
Instead, it was Jake Browning, filling in for the injured Joe Burrow, who won the battle of backups – for roughly 10 minutes at least. Browning, making his second-career start, completed 32-of-37 passes for 354 yards and a touchdown. He added 22 yards on two carries and a score on the ground. Browning had help, as star wideout Ja’Marr Chase contributed with 11 receptions for 149 yards and a score.
Trevor Lawrence becomes latest star QB to go down with injury
Lawrence is the latest star quarterback to go down with a potentially serious injury this season. Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets, Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings and Burrow are just a few of the bigger names to go down with season-ending injuries in 2023.
Lawrence, the 2021 first overall pick out of Clemson, is in his third season with the Jaguars. He entered Monday’s contest having thrown for 2,746 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 67.3% passing. His 61.8 QBR is the highest of his career.
Injury analyst Jeff Mueller provided insight on Lawrence’s ankle injury.
“Trevor Lawrence – Gets his right ankle stepped on then rolled, then further rolled over after the defender hits him. I’d say main concern is an ankle sprain, but given how much pain he’s in (+ assistance from staff into locker room), possible concern for a fracture,” Mueller wrote on X.