Trevor Lawrence has never missed a game in his NFL career, but the Jacksonville Jaguars star is facing an uphill battle to keep that streak intact.
Lawrence suffered an ankle injury late in Jacksonville’s overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. The quarterback was clearly in significant pain after a teammate stepped on his foot while Lawrence was being taken down by a defender.
Tests revealed no structural damage, but Lawrence is dealing with a high-ankle sprain. That is often a multi-week injury for players. Though Lawrence was able to practice on a limited basis Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the former No. 1 overall pick would have have “to prove a lot” in order to be cleared to play in Week 14 against the Cleveland Browns.
“It’s a short week. It’s a difficult injury, and if you watch the way his foot kind of torqued when his own (teammate) stepped on him Monday night, this is not a small injury. … He’s going to be less than 100% if he plays, no matter what,” Rapoport said Friday. “They want to make sure he can do the job before they put him out there. My understanding is he’s got to prove a lot to be able to get on the field this weekend.”
The Jaguars fell to 8-4 with their loss to Cincinnati. Both the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans are 7-5 and right on Jacksonville’s tail in the AFC South. Lawrence has played through injuries and will probably feel inclined to do so again, but the Jaguars want him healthy for their potential postseason run.
Lawrence suffered a similar injury last season and did not miss a game, so it is too early to rule him out for Sunday.
