Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is expected to be back on the practice field Wednesday, a few days after missing a game for the first time in his career, coach Doug Pederson told reporters.
“He’s getting healthy. We don’t want any setbacks so this will be a slow, gradual process, but it’ll be good to get him out there,” Pederson said. “A little bit more of a limited basis today, he is feeling better. Again, he’s another one who’s a little more day-to-day as we go this week.”
Lawrence, 24, started the first 49 games of his NFL career before a shoulder sprain suffered in Week 16 kept him out of action last week. The third-year quarterback sat out all three of the team’s practices before he was ruled out Friday for a game against the Carolina Panthers.
Despite not having the starting quarterback in the lineup in Week 17, the Jaguars snapped a four-game skid with a 26-0 blowout of the Carolina Panthers.
Pederson said Wednesday that Lawrence having a chance to watch the team from the sideline while C.J. Beathard led the way was a silver lining that could prove useful in his development.
“It definitely helps a guy like Trevor, your quarterback” Pederson said. “You’re seeing the game a little bit calmer. That 30,000-foot perspective, he sees things a little bit differently, how he would handle situations. There’s definitely things that he took away that he can use the next time he gets an opportunity.”
Pederson was unwilling Wednesday to estimate Lawrence’s chances of playing Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, saying only that “he’s day-to-day” at this point. He did, however, say that even last week, Lawrence was “shooting for Week 18 or, hopefully, round one of the postseason” for a return.
Lawrence has 3,736 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions this season.
