CJ Beathard Carted Off During Jaguars OTA Practice

The Jacksonville Jaguars saw an important player sustain injury during Monday's OTA practice, with backup quarterback CJ Beathard being carted off the field during the practice at TIAA Bank Field.

Jaguars backup QB CJ Beathard being taken off the field via cart after being down for several minutes. Not clear yet what the injury is.
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) June 6, 2022

According to NFL Network's Tom Peliserro, Beathard sustained a groin injury on Monday.

#Jaguars backup QB C.J. Beathard was carted off the field at today’s OTA practice with what sources say is a groin injury. MRI pending to reveal the extent of the injury for Beathard, who’s slated to be the No. 2 QB behind Trevor Lawrence.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 6, 2022

The Jaguars also saw 2021 fourth-round outside linebacker Jordan Smith leave Monday's practice with a lower-body injury, according to Mark Long of the Associated Press.

Jaguars OLB Jordan Smith, a 4th-round draft pick in 2021, helped to the locker room with what looks like a right knee injury sustained in practice
— Mark Long (@APMarkLong) June 6, 2022

Jacksonville signed Beathard to a two-year deal last offseason, with the former Iowa and San Francisco 49ers quarterback eventually taking the No. 2 quarterback job following Gardner Minshew's trade and a strong preseason from Beathard himself.

Drafted by San Francisco in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Beathard started 12 games for the 49ers during his tenure. Beathard went 2-10 as a starter during that period. He ended his 49ers tenure with 18 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 58.6% completion rate, and 7.0 yards per attempt.

Beathard threw just two passes in 2021, completing both for a total of 30 yards when Trevor Lawrence briefly left Week 9 with an injury. Beathard has been set up this year to be Lawrence's No. 2 backup entering the offseason; behind Beathard, the Jaguars have third-year quarterback and former sixth-round pick Jake Luton and undrafted free agent quarterback EJ Perry.

“The one thing with C.J., he’s played games, he’s started games in this league, and I think that’s valuable. C.J. has the mentality and I think he has the right mentality right now as a backup quarterback where there’s not that threat to Trevor," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said in May. "It’s not like he’s out there making an agenda for C.J. He’s a team player and he’s on board. You see it out on the grass, or you see it in the classroom where those two are having really good dialogue back and forth and open communication, and that’s really what it takes.

"I think about my days in Green Bay with [former Packers QB] Brett [Favre]. Not that I was going to threaten Brett’s job, but just having the communication of another set of eyes for the starter, that’s what you have to have. It was Nick Foles with Carson Wentz a few years back [in Philadelphia]. I think those combinations are really good for the starter and it kind of calms the starter down a little bit where Trevor can just focus on his job knowing he has the support of the backup.”