The Jacksonville Jaguars face the possibility of having lost more than their footing in the AFC playoff race on Monday night.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered what was initially diagnosed as an ankle sprain in a 34-31 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson did not have update following the game and confirmed Lawrence will have more tests on Tuesday.
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported that Lawrence seemed able to stand on his ankle in the locker room following the loss but was careful not to put pressure or walk on it. He was seen sharing information regarding the injury with his teammates and a number of them seemed in good spirits after speaking to him, per Wolfe, after which Lawrence departed the locker room in a walking boot.
Lawrence sustained the injury in the fourth quarter with the score tied, 28-28, and 5:25 remaining. He was stepped on by his offensive lineman, Walker Little, during a dropback, and was then bent backward awkwardly while on the ground.
The Jags QB attempted to walk off the field but dropped back to the ground. He required help from two trainers to return to the sidelines and into the tunnel for evaluation.
Veteran backup C.J. Beathard entered the game in relief following a field-goal drive by Cincinnati and led a three-point drive of his own to help force overtime.
That’s where any inkling of a positive ended for the Jaguars.
Beathard was unable to capitalize on the extra frame as Jacksonville had to punt after a 26-yard drive stalled, after which the Bengals drove down for a game-winning field goal by Evan McPherson.
The defeat dropped the Jaguars to 8-4 with a cloud hanging over the quarterback situation.
Lawrence is arguably the main contributor to Jacksonville’s rise to contention over the past two years. He’s never missed a game, and he was piecing together a stellar performance on Monday to keep pace in a back-and-forth contest in which the Jags defense gave up 491 total yards.
At the time of his departure, he was 22 of 29 for 259 yards and two passing touchdowns, plus a score on the ground.
His 125.4 passer rating was his best of the season, and his 75.9 completion percentage was his second-best. He had Jacksonville in the game, and he was giving it a chance to take over the No. 1 seed.
The Jags now sit in the No. 4 slot.
All eyes will be on the results of Lawrence’s MRI, which could tell the story for the rest of Jacksonville’s season.
