Jaguars rule out QB Lawrence for matchup with Lions

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will miss his second consecutive game because of an injury to his left, non-throwing shoulder.

Coach Doug Pederson ruled Lawrence out on Wednesday and said Mac Jones will start at Detroit (8-1) on Sunday.

Lawrence took a hit to his left shoulder while scrambling at Philadelphia on Nov. 3. Instead of sliding, he chose to go head-first and got hammered by linebacker Zack Baun. Lawrence practiced in a limited role last week but was ruled out before a 12-7 loss to Minnesota.

“We don’t want to put a player out there that’s not a hundred percent, so we’re going to rest him more week,” Pederson said.

Jones made his first start in nearly a year last week and completed 14 of 22 passes for 111 yards, with three sacks and three turnovers. Jones had two interceptions and a fumble in the fourth quarter. The Jaguars (2-8) finished with 143 yards, the fifth-lowest total in franchise history.

Jacksonville has a bye week after playing the Lions, so Lawrence will get three weeks of rest before attempting to return against Houston on Dec. 1.

“We've got some time,” Pederson said. “It’s still a question mark, but I’m optimistic."

The top pick in the 2021 draft, Lawrence missed a game for the first time in his professional career in 2023 because of a sprained right shoulder sustained in Week 16. He also missed significant practice time because of other injuries: a sprained left knee in Week 6, a sprained right ankle in Week 13 and a concussion in Week 15.

Pederson said last week he learned from last season that Lawrence needs to practice during the week to be fully effective in games.

The Jaguars signed Lawrence to a five-year, $275 million contract extension in June that made him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in NFL history.

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