JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence felt a sense of relief Wednesday that he was merely missing an NFL practice for the first time.
Lawrence, the No. 1 pick of the 2021 draft, initially feared he might have sustained a season-ending knee injury when he was sacked on the final play of the first half during Sunday’s road loss to the Detroit Lions. Three days later, he said he “kind of dodged a bullet for sure on that hit.”
Though it left him with pain, tests revealed a sprained big toe on his left foot but no significant damage. Lawrence and coach Doug Pederson expect he will be able return to practice later in the week and probably play Sunday as the Jaguars (4-8) face the Tennessee Titans (7-5) in Nashville. It’s an AFC South matchup, with the Titans leading the division as they seek to win it for the third straight year and the Jaguars trying to keep their playoff hopes alive.
“That’s the plan,” Lawrence said. “All I can do is just take it day by day and, if I can, I’ll be out there.”
Lawrence wore a protective shoe on his foot in the locker room and around the facility Wednesday. Pain and swelling subsided enough that he was able to put on sneakers and join teammates on the field for part of practice. He listened and watched from the sideline as backup C.J Beathard directed the offense.