Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is “progressing well” in his recovery from an injury that landed him in the NFL’s concussion protocol, coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday.
“You’ve got to follow the steps,” Pederson later said. “It’s really based on symptoms and how he feels. If he can sit in a meeting and tolerate a meeting, it’s okay. If not, then we don’t put him in there because you’re stimulating the brain. It’s just based on symptoms.”
Backup quarterback C.J. Beathard, who is in line to start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers if Lawrence is unavailable, also said that the third-year quarterback is making positive progress.
“He’s doing better,” Beathard said. “He’s been in the building today. I got to talk to him and hang out with him today, so he’s doing good.”
There’s a five-step protocol that Lawrence and the Jaguars must follow before the quarterback can return to the field. While the positive comments on his progress and the fact that Lawrence was back in the building bode well for his chances at playing Sunday, it’s also unclear how far along in the return-to-participation protocol he is with the game just days away.
Lawrence, 24, has never missed an NFL game and sat out only two games at Clemson after testing positive for COVID. So far this season, he has 18 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions, as well as four rushing touchdowns.