Doug Pederson suggests Jaguars could make major Trevor Lawrence call after latest injury

After Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered a concussion following what many have called a "dirty hit" delivered by Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair in Sunday's game that Houston won, 23-20, ESPN's Michael DiRocco noted that "it certainly would make sense" for the Jaguars to shut Lawrence down for the remainder of the campaign. 

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson spoke with reporters on Monday and indicated the club could keep Lawrence out of action through Week 18 even if he clears the concussion protocol.

"I mean, you’ve got to take it all into consideration, obviously, and you know, make a smart choice," Pederson said about Lawrence possibly playing again this season, as shared by Justin Barney of News4Jax. "Make a headsy sort of determination with him and his health and then obviously, where we are as a team right now." 

Per the NFL's website, the 2-10 Jaguars began Monday with less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs. It's widely believed Jaguars owner Shad Khan will part ways with Pederson in January, if not sooner, so it's possible Khan could have the final say regarding Lawrence's status after the 25-year-old signed a five-year contract extension worth up to $275M with $142M fully guaranteed this past offseason.

Additionally, Lawrence was already dealing with a sprained left (non-throwing) shoulder that he said last week could result in him needing season-ending surgery at any point. Meanwhile, DiRocco mentioned that Lawrence has sustained a minimum of three diagnosed concussions going back to his college days. Thus, Jacksonville risking Lawrence's long-term health in what will essentially be meaningless games for an organization with a coaching staff that probably won't be employed past the NFL's next "Black Monday" makes little sense for anybody involved. 

For a piece published Monday, ESPN's Bill Barnwell wrote that the Jaguars had "shown precious little fire for most of this season" before Lawrence was knocked out of Sunday's game. It's too late to hope Lawrence could save what's become a lost season for the franchise, so Pederson (or maybe Khan) should get either backup Mac Jones or QB3 C.J. Beathard ready to start for Jacksonville's matchup at the 3-9 Tennessee Titans this coming Sunday.