Should Jaguars Shut Down Trevor Lawrence?

Jacksonville Jaguars starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence is nursing a shoulder injury that may require surgery, according to various reports. He was limited in Wednesday's practice and is unlikely to play versus the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Mac Jones should receive the start, and veteran backup C.J. Beathard was also added to the roster. The Jaguars should consider shutting Lawrence down for the remainder of the 2024 season.

The Jaguars have been a massive disappointment this campaign. They enter Sunday with an NFL-worst 2-7 record and are currently scheduled to possess the No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft in a jumbled draft order.

There's nothing to be gained by making Lawrence play the final eight meaningless games. Furthermore, the Jaguars signed Lawrence to a sizable five-year extension worth $275 million in the offseason. Protecting their investment from further harm should be under consideration.

Ownership should intervene if head coach Doug Pederson is unwilling to make the correct decision. Pederson is extremely likely to be relieved of his duties after this underwhelming campaign. Winning with Lawrence could potentially save his gig, but the Jaguars are expected to conduct a coaching search in the offseason. A healthy Lawrence is key to attracting desired targets.

There's no denying that Lawrence has regressed this season. Whether it's Pederson's scheme that has aged poorly, or a lackluster supporting cast, particularly an offensive line that is leaking pressure, Lawrence just isn't finding success with this iteration of the Jaguars. A fresh start under a different regime and coaching staff is needed.

The Jaguars have given up a middling 20 sacks despite Lawrence's average time-to-throw being an excellent 2.69 seconds, according to Next Gen Stats. That's about where the impressive metrics stop for Lawrence. His passer rating of 87.9 is 10th-lowest among QBs that entered the season as starters, and several of the ones below him have been benched (Anthony Richardson, Bryce Young, Gardner Minshew).

Lawrence is currently completing 61.3% of his passing attempts, the lowest mark of his career since his disastrous rookie season under Urban Meyer. Only sophomore quarterbacks Richardson and Young, and Jacoby Brissett, who has already been benched for Drake Maye, have lower completion percentages among Week 1 starters.

Lawrence has an expected completion percentage of 64.7%. His -3.4 Completion Percentage Above Expectation (CPOE) is fourth-worst among full-time starters, again trailing inexperienced quarterbacks like Richardson and Bo Nix. Lawrence's metrics are consistently near the bottom of the league in several telling categories.

Lawrence has been fortunate to throw just six interceptions despite attempting a seventh-worst 11 turnover-worthy plays, per Pro Football Focus. His turnover-worthy play percentage of 3.4% is ninth-worst among qualifying quarterbacks. Lawrence's adjusted completion percentage of 71.2% is the worst in the NFL when including minimum qualifiers.

Fixing the offensive line before Lawrence returns to action is critical this offseason. He's completed just 42.9% of his passes under pressure this season, and his yards per attempt is second-lowest (4.4) in the NFL when under duress. Continuing to play an injured Lawrence behind this offensive line would be negligent.

Lawrence and the entire Jaguars have not performed admirably this year. The former Clemson standout is now nursing a shoulder injury that should derail the remainder of his campaign. Jacksonville should shut Lawrence down before causing further damage.