Ian Rapoport Provides Clarity on Trevor Lawrence Shoulder Surgery Report
The Jacksonville Jaguars suffered a blow last Sunday when quarterback Trevor Lawrence hurt his left shoulder during the team's narrow loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Comments from the team in the following days did not inspire much optimism and Thursday brought some more bad news— but with a spate of good news.
The bad first: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Lawrence is "unlikely" to suit up for the 2-7 Jags when they take on the Minnesota Vikings this weekend. The QB was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday.
The good: Rapoport also shed some light on a report that the injury was more serious than indicated. Jay Gruden, a former NFL head coach and son of Jon Gruden, tweeted that his sources tell him Lawrence will need surgery on his shoulder. Which would, of course, be a season-ending development.
"Sources say surgery for Trevor," Gruden wrote on his X account. "Damn. Get well man! Hope sources are wrong."
Rapoport saw the report and provided clarity: that Lawrence is not scheduled to have surgery. Yet.
"No surgery scheduled, Jay," the insider responded. "There are several options immediate and down the road. That's one of them. He's considered day-to-day with a left shoulder. But as he considers these options, Trevor Lawrence will likely not play Sunday. Mac Jones is the backup."
Lawrence has struggled in his fourth NFL season, completing 61.3% of his passes for 2,004 yards and 11 touchdowns to six interceptions. Jacksonville is 2-7 with a lot of bad losses that carry an eerily similar air to how the last few seasons have fallen apart. But everything would collapse completely without him under center unless backup Mac Jones has somehow recovered from his ordeal with the New England Patriots in less than a season as a Jaguar.
A situation to monitor as this week and the rest of the year marches on.