The Jacksonville Jaguars have been stuck in a rut for the last few weeks. Their loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16 was their fourth consecutive defeat, dropping their record to 8-7 on the season.
What was once a strong hold on first place in the AFC South has become tenuous at best, as there is a three-way tie between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans. The Jaguars are being presented with a great opportunity to get back into the win column in Week 17 as they will be hosting the Carolina Panthers.
Unfortunately for the Jaguars, they could be without one of their key contributors. Starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who was already dealing with a high ankle sprain suffered in Week 13 vs the Cincinnati Bengals, was injured again against the Buccaneers.
Lawrence suffered an AC Joint sprain in his right shoulder when he was diving for a first down and was shoved by linebacker Yaya Diaby. He was able to finish that drive but knew something was wrong and was replaced by C.J. Beathard after that.
NFL News & Rumors: Trevor Lawrence, Doug Pederson, Matt Barkley, Jacksonville Jaguars Updates
While head coach Doug Pederson has not made any final decisions about Lawrence’s status, a recent move made by the team could hint at the chances the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft will be on the field Sunday afternoon. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network announced that the Jaguars signed Matt Barkley off of the practice squad of the New York Giants.
Barkley provides the team with some added insurance in case Lawrence cannot play. Being signed to the active roster certainly gives the impression that the Jaguars are unsure about the chances of him suiting up.
Lawrence has not missed a game during his NFL career, starting all 49 games to this point. He has shown a lot of toughness in battling through some injuries during that time, but the AC Joint sprain could be too much to overcome.
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