On Monday night, it was fair to wonder if the next time we saw Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence on a field would be September of 2024.
He was back on Thursday afternoon.
Lawrence suffered a scary looking injury against the Cincinnati Bengals when his foot was stepped on and then twisted underneath him. He threw his helmet and had to be helped all the way back to the locker room by two trainers.
That injury turned out to be a high ankle sprain, which isn't a minor injury but it's not season-ending either. It's still the kind of injury that should keep Lawrence out for a while. But he was back at the start of Jaguars practice, doing some drills and throwing according to reporters on hand including Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union.
That would presumably give Lawrence a shot to play on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. Even if Lawrence doesn't play this week, it's remarkable he's practicing three days after an injury that looked initially like it could keep him out the rest of the season.
The Jaguars have a decision to make on their franchise quarterback as the week goes on, but Lawrence has never missed a start in three NFL seasons. He has started all 46 games since he was drafted first overall. The Jaguars also are just a game ahead of the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South after losing Monday night's game to the Bengals following Lawrence's injury. It makes sense if he's pushing to play.
We’ll see if Lawrence can make a surprisingly fast recovery and play by Sunday. Even if not, the Jaguars have to be overjoyed to see their quarterback already back on the practice field.
