Jaguars get ready for New Orleans Saints with Trevor Lawrence playing status in doubt

Will he or won't he?

There's a giant elephant in the room as the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2) embark on their road journey to take on the New Orleans Saints (3-3). The game will kick off at 8:15 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video, nationally and on FOX30, locally.

The status of Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence remains up in the air with him “questionable” on the team’s final injury report released Wednesday.

As insurance, the Jaguars are activating practice squad quarterback Nathan Rourke.

It will be a short four-day turnaround after the team's Week 6 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts this past Sunday.

Status update: Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is 'sore' due to knee injury, officially 'day-to-day'

Late in the team's 37-20 victory over the Colts, Lawrence suffered a knee injury, which was described as a knee sprain by NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. Though it was described as a minor injury by Rapoport, with the team's short turnaround — just three days of rest — Lawrence's status has been in doubt.

Jaguars tight end Evan Engram alluded to an MCL issue with Lawrence in the locker room Tuesday, which would align with reports that surfaced following the injury. Engram has had multiple MCL sprains throughout his career and has given the young QB some advice on working through it.

On Monday, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson indicated Lawrence was "day-to-day" and that he was "sore" after suffering the injury, but feeling better than he was Sunday. Lawrence echoed that sentiment Tuesday, indicating he was optimistic he'd suit up Thursday, but there remain some doubts.

If Lawrence is to miss the game, backup QB C.J. Beathard will take his place. It would mark Beathard's first start since the 2020 season in a Week 17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Beathard completed 25-of-37 passes for 273 yards and one touchdown.

Beathard indicated in the locker room Tuesday that he took the majority of the first-team reps. If he is to suit up Thursday in place of Lawrence, the backup QB said he feels comfortable with that position.

"I'm very comfortable," Beathard said. "I mean, it's my seventh year in the league, I've started a handful of games and I got a real good feel with the group of guys and everything, the plays."

Still, Beathard was confident Lawrence would suit up due to the franchise QB's toughness he has shown over the time the two QBs have spent with each other.

"I've been here two-and-a-half years with [Lawrence] and he hasn't missed a single game," Beathard said with a smile. "He's as tough as they come and I know he's doing anything and everything he can right now to be ready to play and that's still very likely that he plays this week."

If Lawrence plays, he could sport the knee brace he was seen wearing during practice Tuesday, but the third-year QB wasn't quite sure if that would be the case given it's the first time he's ever worn one.

"Today was my first day having it on, so [on Wednesday] I’ll wear it again and see how it feels. I would probably think so, yes, but I don’t know the answer right now to that yet," Lawrence said Tuesday.

Lawrence indicated he's doing everything in his power to play, and even with a short week, it allows players to recover more than they would typically during a normal week.

“It’s a short week anyways, so physically, we’re not doing much," Lawrence indicated. "You’re trying to get your bodies back and ready for Sunday. Regardless of if there’s an injury or not, it hasn’t affected me a ton because we haven’t done too much."

With the Caesars Superdome sporting turf as a surface for the Saints' dome in New Orleans and the impact that has on a player's joints and knees, one question that arises is whether or not the Jaguars would feel more inclined to rest Lawrence as to prevent further injury.

Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said Tuesday that it is something the team has to entrust with its training staff.

“That’s where you just kind of trust your training staff," Taylor said. "As long as Trevor is in a position where he can’t injure himself or as long as he gives us the best chance to win the game, without risking himself or whatever that may be, then that’s what we’ll continue to do. That’s just a conversation with everybody involved in the process.”

'It is what it is': Jaguars not stressed about short week

Both teams entering Thursday night will have had just three days to prepare for the contest. Almost immediately following Sunday's win, Jaguars coaches began to prep for the Saints, spending time game planning and getting ready for the contest.

On both sides of the football, preparing a game plan is a bit tricky, but the Jaguars are doing what they need to do.

“It is what it is. You just understand that you’re going to go through it, you get your team in here today, you got to practice today and practice tomorrow and then you’re on a plane heading to New Orleans," Pederson said of prepping for a short week.

"Guys are going to be sore, guys are going to be dealing with things. We don’t have the full complement of a week for guys to feel somewhat normal. The gameplan is the gameplan, it’s just based on what you see on film and trying to get something together for the game and go play.”

When asked about game planning for the Saints, Pederson indicated that it was pretty much status quo. Playing in the Superdome, however, changes some things and Jacksonville may not utilize as many motions as they would typically on offense.

"Communication is hard and snap counts are hard. The more you can simplify motions and shifts and lining up in stagnant formations can help you," Pederson said. "At the same time, you still want to put your guys in positions to have successful matchups or have at least some success on the field.”

The last time the Jaguars played in the Superdome came during the 2015 season. The Jaguars lost 38-28. They are 2-4 all-time against the Saints with their last victory coming in 2003, a nail-biting 20-19 win in which the Saints missed the extra point after a thrilling 75-yard touchdown.

The game was donned the "River City Relay."

Calvin Ridley faces familiar foe in Saints CB Marshon Lattimore

Before arriving in Jacksonville, Ridley spent his first four seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. With that came matchups against the New Orleans Saints twice a year.

Though Julio Jones demanded a ton of attention, Ridley has still matched up with star Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore on numerous occasions.

On Tuesday, Ridley gave his scouting report on Lattimore, a player he says is one of the best cornerbacks in the league."

"Overall a great corner," Ridley said. "He plays man, he follows good receivers, he plays at the line. A guy who goes out there and will follow good receivers and tries to lock them down."

When prompted with "You've gotten your fair share of plays against him," Ridley kept a straight face and stated, "He got his fair share of plays against me too."

In six games against the Saints from 2018-2020, Ridley has caught 36 passes for 556 yards and four touchdowns. His best game against the Saints came in 2018 when Ridley caught seven passes for 146 yards and three scores, the third game of his NFL career.

With Tyson Campbell ruled out, Jaguars turn to second-year corner Montaric 'Buster' Brown

Pederson was elusive about any questions regarding Lawrence this week but all but ruled out third-year cornerback Tyson Campbell ahead of Thursday's contest. Campbell suffered a hamstring injury during the second quarter of the team's win against the Colts Sunday. He did not return to the matchup.

In his place was and will be second-year corner Montaric "Buster" Brown, who was drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft by Jacksonville. Brown has played in 12 games in his career with one start.

Thrust into the competition Sunday, Brown was picked on. According to Pro Football Reference, Brown allowed five completions for 82 yards and a touchdown.

Still, Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell said that the team is confident in what they have with the young corner.

“Just what he’s done in training camp and out there at practice every day. He’s a guy that works hard and we’re confident with him going out there. He’ll be ready to go," said Caldwell.

With Campbell out, the Jaguars will likely elevate one or both of the practice squad corners Tevaughn Campbell and Erick Hallett to provide depth. Monday, the Jaguars signed former Lions fifth-round pick cornerback Amani Oruwariye to the practice squad and released Jaguars 2023 seventh-round pick outside linebacker Derek Parish.

Who else is on the Jaguars' injury report this week?

Though Lawrence is the whale of the team's injuries this week, the Jaguars will already be without Campbell, the team's top corner but they could be without a few other key players.

Along with Campbell, receiver Zay Jones (knee) and offensive linemen Walker Little (knee) and Brandon Scherff (ankle) also missed practice Monday and Tuesday.

Little missed last week's game against the Saints and much of the team's Week 5 win against the Buffalo Bills. Jones has missed the same time as well as the team's Week 3 and 4 games aginst the Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons, respectively.

It is unlikely that either Jones or Little suit up against the Saints on Thursday, giving them 10 days to rest before playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9 if they are cleared to play by then.

Pederson described Scherff's injury as "day-to-day" as he has with every other injury Jacksonville has had. However, the veteran lineman is known around the team as an iron man and if anyone can play through another ankle injury, it's Scherff.

If Scherff is unable to suit up, Blake Hance will take his place at right guard.

Defensive lineman DaVon Hamilton has yet to be activated after returning to practice last week and practicing in full this week but is unlikely to be activated before Thursday.

Hamilton's participation this week could be misleading given the Jaguars do not conduct typical practices during a short week, only light jogging or walk-through practices.

Saints enter the game banged up, too

The Saints listed six players as ones who did not participate Monday or Tuesday this week, including starting right tackle Ryan Ramczyk (concussion), linebacker Demario Davis (knee), left tackle James Hurst (ankle), backup tackle Landon Young (hip), backup safety J.T. Gray (hamstring) and starting tight end Juwan Johnson (calf).

Seven other players were listed on the injury report as being limited both days, but those who missed the practices in their entirety are the ones to watch for Thursday in pre-game or before the contest when the official statuses are known.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X,  formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars to play Saints on Thursday night; Lawrence questionable to play