Mac Jones, the 15th overall pick by New England in the 2021 draft, is scheduled to make his first start in nearly a year. Jones lost seven of his last eight starts for the Patriots in 2023 before getting benched. He was traded to Jacksonville (2-7) in exchange for a sixth-round pick in March.
Now he will play in his hometown for the first time since high school. C.J. Beathard, signed off Miami's practice squad earlier in the week, will serve as the backup.
Lawrence took a hit to his left shoulder while scrambling on a second-and-9 play in the second quarter at Philadelphia last Sunday. Instead of sliding, Lawrence chose to go head-first and got hammered by linebacker Zack Baun.
The top pick in the 2021 draft, Lawrence missed a game for the first time in his professional career in 2023 because of a sprained right shoulder sustained 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.
Coach Doug Pederson said Friday he learned from last season that Lawrence needs to practice during the week to be fully effective in games.
The Jaguars signed Lawrence to a five-year, $275 million contract extension in June that made him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in NFL history.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl