'I'm optimistic': Trevor Lawrence gives update on knee injury ahead of game vs. Saints

Trevor Lawrence is "going to do everything" he can to be available for Thursday's game against the New Orleans Saints, he said on Tuesday.

The third-year quarterback was injured on a late play in Jacksonville's win against the Indianapolis Colts and will likely be listed as questionable for the Jaguars' game on Amazon Prime Thursday night.

Lawrence was limited in practice on Tuesday, wearing a brace on his left leg and splitting time with backup C.J. Beathard.

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"I feel a lot better today than I would've thought," Lawrence said during his media availability. "I like how I'm progressing. I'm going to do everything I can to be out there."

This is the first knee injury Lawrence has ever dealt with in his college or professional career. It creates an added hurdle for him to get over in order to play as he explained on Tuesday.

"It's different. It's something that I haven't had any experience with," he said. "That adds a challenge to it because you're not used to it. It's a fine line of how much do you push?"

The injury also creates additional hurdles because Lawrence has not had an injury-heavy past. He picked up a toe injury last season that lingered through the bulk of the final part of the season, but he did not miss any games due to the injury.

He has not missed an NFL game in his career. It's a point of pride for Lawrence, even as a player who's only in his third season.

"I haven't missed a game in my career," Lawrence said. "I'm only in my third year, but I take a lot of pride in that and being available. Being there, being able to play and compete every week. I think that's something that I take a lot of pride in."

Ultimately, the Jaguars' aren't going to put Lawrence in harm's way by trotting him out on a short week if they think there's a potential for further injuring him or if he can't put the team in a position to win the game due to the injury.

And if he can't play, the team has confidence in Beathard's ability to fill in for Lawrence. But Lawrence isn't ready to rule out himself out just yet.

"I'm optimistic but of course we're going to have to make that decision Thursday and we'll go from there," he said.

Juston Lewis is a sports reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on the website formerly known as Twitter at @JustonLewis_.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence updates knee injury vs. Saints