Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence to start vs. Saints after knee injury

Trevor Lawrence is going to give it a go after all.

Lawrence will start for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night in their matchup with the New Orleans Saints after he sustained a knee injury last week, coach Doug Pederson confirmed to the NFL Network.

Lawrence participated fully in pregame warmups at the Caesars Superdome and appeared in good spirits ahead of the "Thursday Night Football" matchup in New Orleans. He was not placed on the Jaguars' inactives list ahead of the game.

Lawerence injured his knee in the fourth quarter of their 37-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday after he was sacked awkwardly and appeared to twist his knee. He reportedly sustained a knee sprain that wasn't considered major, but the Jaguars had a short week before playing at New Orleans on Thursday night.

Lawrence practiced on a limited basis Tuesday and Wednesday and was listed as questionable on the injury report. He was wearing a brace on his knee in practice, but said Tuesday that things had progressed well.

"I'm going to do everything I can to be out there," Lawrence said Tuesday. "I feel a lot better today than I would've thought."

Lawrence has thrown for 1,439 yards and seven touchdowns so far this season, his third in the league, and has led the Jaguars to a 4-2 start. He's 13th in this week's Yahoo fantasy QB rankings.

The Jaguars were in a tough spot. Lawrence, the former first overall pick who has developed into a very good NFL quarterback, had reportedly been pushing to play. He had never missed an NFL game since being drafted. But the Jaguars had to weigh playing Lawrence versus his long-term health, especially as they just won three in a row to take over first place in the AFC South.

Based on Pederson's decision Thursday, Lawrence is good to go. Whether that leads to a fourth straight win remains to be seen.