The Jacksonville Jaguars placed quarterback Trevor Lawrence on injured reserve on Wednesday, effectively ending his 2024 season. Lawrence, already dealing with a sprained AC joint in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, suffered a concussion late in the first half of the Jaguars’ 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans. The concussion came after a hit to Lawrence’s head by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who was subsequently suspended for three games. This concussion marks the sixth injury Lawrence has sustained since Week 6 of the 2023 season, including another concussion, two shoulder injuries, a knee injury, and an ankle injury. Despite missing two games this season and one last year, Lawrence had managed to play through most of these injuries until now.
As a result of being placed on injured reserve, Lawrence is required to miss at least four games, and with just five games remaining in the season, his 2024 campaign is essentially over. It’s also possible that Lawrence could undergo corrective surgery on his shoulder once he recovers from the concussion. Prior to this, Lawrence injured his left shoulder during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 3 but continued to play, nearly leading the Jaguars to a win until throwing an interception in the final moments. He missed the following two games and returned to practice on November 25, even considering the possibility of surgery on his non-throwing shoulder.
In Lawrence’s absence, Mac Jones, who threw for 235 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns against the Texans in relief, will take over as the starting quarterback. Jones previously started two games for Lawrence after his shoulder injury, but the Jaguars struggled in those games, totaling just 313 yards and scoring 13 points in losses to Minnesota and Detroit. C.J. Beathard will serve as the backup, while the Jaguars have added journeyman John Wolford to the practice squad. To fill Lawrence’s spot on the roster, the Jaguars signed veteran receiver Josh Reynolds off waivers from the Denver Broncos to bolster a receiving corps that has been hit hard by injuries, including the season-ending losses of Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis.
