Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence Playing With Fire Against Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will be taking a major risk when he takes the field against the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Nov 10, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) on the sideline against the Minnesota Vikings during the third quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be facing the Houston Texans in an AFC South clash on Sunday that does not carry nearly the same cachet as we thought it would heading into the season.

The Texans are 7-5 and appear headed toward a division title, and the Jaguars are just 2-9 and may be angling for a No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

But there is one massively important variable at stake here: the health of Trevor Lawrence.

Lawrence has missed each of the last two weeks with an AC joint spray in his shoulder, but he plans to play against Houston on Sunday even though he isn't 100 percent, via Ian Rapoport of NFL media.

That in spite of the fact that it was recently revealed that Lawrence may need surgery to repair the issue. Yes, it's his non-throwing shoulder, but it's still an injury, nonetheless.

Both Lawrence and the Jaguars are playing with fire here.

Lawrence wants to play. He's a professional athlete. He's hyper-competitive. It's understandable. But is it really the wisest move?

Jacksonville isn't going to the playoffs. The rest of this season is merely about assessing the talent on the roster and preparing for the future.

It's really not worth risking Lawrence's health in the process.

While the former No. 1 overall pick may want to play, the Jaguars can always override him. Of course, with head coach Doug Pederson on borrowed time and general manager Trent Baalke potentially on the way out, as well, there may not be a sense of urgency from anyone to sit him.

But someone within the organization—like owner Shad Khan, for example—should make the decision to keep Lawrence on the bench if he really isn't fully healthy, and apparently, he isn't.

What if Lawrence further injures his shoulder? The Texans have a pretty fierce set of pass rushers in Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson, and Jacksonville does not have a great offensive line.

So, basically, Lawrence is probably going to take some hits.

It's nice that Lawrence still wants to get out there and battle in spite of the circumstances, but somewhere along the line, cooler heads should prevail here.

But it's looking like Lawrence will be risking the biscuit.

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