Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered a shoulder injury in Week 16, and the latest rumors suggest he might not be able to suit up in a must-win game against the Carolina Panthers. In other news, Travis Kelce and Cameron Jordan are both frustrated with the state of their current teams.
NFL Rumors: Trevor Lawrence, Travis Kelce, Cameron Jordan
Trevor Lawrence: “I Will Do Anything I Can” To Play Sunday
Less than a month ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars had a comfortable lead in the AFC South playoff race and appeared to be cruising to their second consecutive divisional title. However, as we enter Week 16, the Jaguars are 8-7 and quarterback Trevor Lawrence is battling a serious shoulder injury, although the latest rumors suggest he will try and suit up.
Speaking to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media, Lawrence that that he will “do anything [he] can” to play in Sunday’s game. The quarterback’s heart is in the right place, but the same cannot be said of his shoulder. The former first-overall pick suffered a sprained AC joint in Week 16’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was unable to practice on Tuesday and Wednesday. If he can’t start, then C.J. Beathard will line up under center in a game Jacksonville desperately needs to win if they want to hold on to their divisional lead.
The 2-13 Carolina Panthers might not seem like the toughest threat in the world, but they’re starting to put it all together. Quarterback Bryce Young looked every bit like the first-overall pick in last week’s 33-30 loss to the Packers, and if that version of Young shows up again, Carolina could easily pull off the upset victory.
Travis Kelce Frustrated With Chiefs Performance
The Kansas City Chiefs are in the midst of what is already the worst season of the Patrick Mahomes Era. At 9-6, the team is out of contention for the top seed in the AFC and has yet to clinch their division. By Kansas City’s standards, that’s struggling. Last week, the Chiefs lost to a Raiders team that didn’t complete a single pass after the first quarter, and tight end Travis Kelce knows things need to change if they want to make a deep playoff run.
Kelce unleashed his frustration on the New Heights podcast, saying that “[i]t’s not just one guy. It’s not just me playing like dog shit. It’s not just us not being able to get the run game going. It’s not just us not being on the same page, passing-wise. Everybody’s in this fucking thing together. Everybody at some point isn’t being accountable.”
These are strong words from the future Hall of Famer, but this team needs more than a pep talk to fix their issues. Outside of Kelce and rookie Rashee Rice, Patrick Mahomes does not have a single reliable target in the passing game. Perhaps a reunion with an old friend could help in the postseason, but that’s anything but a sure thing.
Cameron Jordan Frustrated With Saints
Coming into the 2023 season, most analysts expected the New Orleans Saints to win the NFC South by default. With all other three teams in various stages of rebuilds, New Orleans should have taken advantage of their new quarterback and weak schedule to cruise to an NFC South title. Instead, the team is 7-8 and is one game out of the playoffs with two left to play. This isn’t what anyone expected, and star pass rusher Cameron Jordan spoke out about the frustration.
Speaking to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell, Jordan said that “[w]e are who we are. There’s two games left. There’s no sugarcoating this shit. It’s frustrating to be in this position. I’m not sure the probabilities of whatever it is now, we just have to win out. At the end of the day there’s no excuses, we just have to win out.”
Winning out is easier said than done, as New Orleans has to face a white-hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers team in Week 17. If they lose, then their season is officially over. If they win, they can make the playoffs by taking down the Atlanta Falcons in Week 18. The Saints are stuck with Derek Carr for at least one more season, but head coach Dennis Allen might not come back if the team misses the playoffs.
Main Photo: Jeremy Reper – USA Today Sports
