The Jacksonville Jaguars expect Trevor Lawrence to return to their starting lineup for Sunday’s AFC South game against the Houston Texans.
“He’s had a good week,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said on Friday. “He’s obviously done some really good things this week. I would say, as of right now, ‘Yes, he will play.’ We get through today Friday, Saturday, but he’s had a good week.”
Lawrence missed the Jaguars’ previous two games because of a left shoulder injury, with Mac Jones serving as Jacksonville’s starting quarterback. Pederson said Jones would return to the No. 2 spot on the depth chart if Lawrence plays.
An All-American selection as the quarterback of Alabama’s 2020 undefeated CFP national-championship team, Jones started the first 42 games of his NFL career for the New England Patriots. After benching Jones with six games remaining in the 2023 season, New England traded Jones to Jacksonville in March.
In the past two games, Jones completed 31-of-51 passes for 249 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions and ran seven times for 15 yards and one touchdown as the Jaguars lost to the Minnesota Vikings 12-7 on Nov. 10 and Detroit Lions 52-6 on Nov. 17.
After Jacksonville’s open date last week, Lawrence is scheduled to return against the team with the second-most sacks in the NFL. Houston has 42 sacks. The Denver Broncos lead the NFL with 44.
“You don’t want your quarterback to get hit anyway, but you just got to be conscious of moving around,” Pederson said. “Not too many designed runs or anything like that. But if he’s cleared to play, we go play. Can’t worry about getting hit or taking a shot or anything like that.”
The Jaguars and Texans will square off at noon CST Sunday at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida.
The teams are on opposite ends of the AFC South. Houston leads the division with a 7-5 record even though it has lost three of its past four games. At 2-9 and on a four-game losing streak, the Jaguars are in the AFC South cellar.
