Trevor Lawrence walked out of EverBank Stadium with his wife and a smile, which was a good sign for the often-injured Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback.
Lawrence had been carted off the field after a harsh blow to his facemask from Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. The hit caused a fight to break out on the sidelines, followed by another scuffle.
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said after the game, “It’s a play that really has no business being in our league,” referring to the hit that contributed to his team’s 23-20 loss.
Lawrence was back in the starting lineup after missing two games with a sprained left shoulder. In the second quarter, on a second-and-7 play, he scrambled to the left and began to slide when Al-Shaair hit him with his forearm, sending Lawrence to the ground.
Lawrence clenched his fists after the hit, a sign of the “fencing response” that can happen after a traumatic brain injury. He lay on the ground for several minutes while his teammates defended him and confronted Al-Shaair, whose actions might lead to a suspension.
Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen said, “That was a dumb hit on his part. Hate to see it. The first thing I thought of was to go get him because it’s your brother, and that’s the quarterback.”
Tight end Evan Engram added, “I saw him sliding and then I saw the hit, and then, honestly, (my emotions) just took over. I just knew it was wrong. It was just a dirty play, and you stick up for your guys.”
Lawrence was helped up and put in a cart to be taken off the field. He was not taken to the hospital but was quickly ruled out due to a concussion.
Lawrence later posted on X, thanking everyone for their support: “Thank you to everyone who has reached out/been praying for me. I’m home and feeling much better. Means a lot. Thank you all.”
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans called it “unfortunate,” saying, “That’s not what we’re coaching. Want to be smart in everything we do and not hurt the team, get a penalty there. Just have to be smarter when a quarterback is going down.”
Ryans added, “Just unfortunate play, not representative of who Azeez is. Like, he’s a smart player, really great leader for us.”
Al-Shaair was ejected for “an illegal hit on the quarterback, unnecessary, to the neck and head area,” according to referee Land Clark. Jaguars rookie cornerback Jarrian Jones was also ejected for throwing a punch during the fight.
As Al-Shaair was leaving the field, fans started yelling at him, and Jaguars guard Brandon Scherff joined in. This led to another incident with Al-Shaair. As Al-Shaair was being escorted off by teammate Will Anderson, a fan threw a water bottle that hit Anderson in the helmet. The fan was removed from the stadium.
After the situation settled, Al-Shaair was not in the locker room when it opened for reporters.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said, “I just want to say prayers to Trevor. I really hope and pray he’s OK. Prayers to his family as well. But, yeah, still rocking with Azeez. I don’t think that was his intent, and I pray that Trevor is OK and his family is right there with him.”
Mac Jones stepped in for Lawrence and helped the Jaguars rally in the fourth quarter. Jones completed 20 of 32 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Pederson did not want to speculate on Lawrence’s future, especially with the Jaguars now eliminated from the AFC South race.
Lawrence, the top pick in the 2021 draft, missed a game for the first time in his career in 2023 due to a sprained right shoulder in Week 16. He also missed significant practice time because of other injuries: a sprained left knee in Week 6, a sprained right ankle in Week 13, and a concussion in Week 15.
Jones said, “Trevor is a warrior. We’re all praying for him. We definitely have his back. For him to play today was incredible. He’s a tough dude. Really wanted to get the win for him. Obviously fell short. But definitely praying for him. I know we all have his back for sure.”
