Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence Expected to Be Game-Time Call vs. Browns After Ankle Injury

After suffering an ankle injury in Monday's overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence's availability for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns is set to come down to the wire.

According to Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said "probably so" when asked Friday if Lawrence will be a game-time call.

Pederson added that Lawrence will be listed as questionable for the game and said "we'll see how he does today" regarding practice in preparation for Sunday's matchup.

Lawrence left Monday's game against the Bengals late in the fourth quarter after getting his ankle bent awkwardly. He was later diagnosed with a high ankle sprain, per ESPN's Michael DiRocco.

Despite Lawrence going down, backup C.J. Beathard led the Jags on a game-tying field goal drive to force overtime, but the Bengals prevailed in the extra session, 34-31.

The loss dropped Jacksonville to 8-4 on the season, leaving it one game ahead of the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans for the AFC South lead.

Had the Jags won, they would have held the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but they are instead one game behind the 9-3 Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens.

Through the first nine games of the season, Lawrence was off to a somewhat slow start statistically despite the team's success, throwing just nine touchdown passes to six interceptions.

He has elevated his game over the past three contests, however, throwing for 884 yards, five touchdowns and one interception, and rushing for four scores as well.

Before getting injured against Cincinnati, Lawrence was enjoying one of his best games of the season, going 22-of-29 for 258 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, plus a rushing touchdown.

On Sunday, the Jaguars will face a team dealing with quarterback issues in their own right in the Browns.

Cleveland's starting quarterback, Deshaun Watson, is out for the season due to a shoulder injury, and his injury issues have resulted in the Browns starting four different quarterbacks this year.

Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson missed last week's game due to injury, prompting Cleveland to start veteran Joe Flacco shortly after signing him.

DTR returned to practice this week, but it is unclear if the Browns plan to start Flacco or Thompson-Robinson.

Either way, the Jaguars will have a huge advantage at quarterback if Lawrence plays, but if he doesn't, then it will be a more level playing field with Beathard under center.

Beathard, who has been limited in practice this week with a shoulder injury, has 12 career NFL starts to his credit, all of which came with the San Francisco 49ers from 2017 to 2020.