Trevor Lawrence’s Recovery: A Balancing Act for the Jaguars
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars are in a delicate dance with their star quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, as he continues his recovery from surgery. The procedure, which repaired the AC joint in his left shoulder, has put Lawrence on a limited schedule this spring. However, the team remains optimistic that he will be fully cleared by the time training camp rolls around.
Jaguars coach Liam Coen has been transparent about the situation, noting that there isn’t a set plan for Lawrence’s throwing regimen just yet. The quarterback’s progress is being closely monitored by Jeff Ferguson, the vice president of player health and performance, and Will Wynkoop, Lawrence’s personal strength coach. As the offseason program progresses, the team is hopeful about Lawrence’s recovery trajectory.
“As we lead in, we’re optimistic that we’ll get there in terms of where we need to go,” Coen said Wednesday. “He’ll be on a pitch count for those things. In terms of the where he has to get to, because he has little touch points he needs to reach before he can obviously get out onto the grass and do it full speed, everything’s moving forward. He feels really good right now, so excited about that.”
Lawrence, who underwent surgery on December 17, was in a sling until late January. He remains optimistic about his recovery timeline, stating, “We don’t play a game until this fall, so obviously I’m going to be ready sooner than that, so I’m very optimistic I’ll be perfectly good for the season.” He added that he’s gradually increasing his throwing distance and volume, emphasizing a cautious approach to avoid rushing back too quickly.
The injury saga began on November 3, when Lawrence hurt his shoulder against Philadelphia. He missed the next two games but returned to start against Houston on December 1. Unfortunately, he suffered a concussion in that game and didn’t play again in 2024. After clearing concussion protocol on December 15, he was able to proceed with the surgery.
This isn’t Lawrence’s first encounter with shoulder surgery. In February 2021, he had a procedure to repair a labrum injury, which limited his participation in the Jaguars’ rookie minicamp and OTAs. This time around, the lighter throwing load presents an opportunity for Lawrence to focus on another aspect of his game: footwork.
Coach Coen has identified footwork as an area for improvement, describing it as more of a “tweaking” rather than a complete overhaul. “If you can have core fundamentals and footwork that you believe in and that you trust in those times of crisis, you have something to actually fall back on and play with a quieted mind,” Coen explained. “And so this is a great opportunity now that he is a little limited from a throwing standpoint that we can dive into the footwork, he can dive into it on his own time and really work at this thing.”
- Lawrence’s surgery was on December 17.
- He was in a sling until late January.
- He cleared concussion protocol on December 15.
- Lawrence had a previous shoulder surgery in February 2021.
Lawrence himself acknowledges the need to refine his footwork, expressing gratitude for the chance to address it this offseason. “I think they’ve done a really good job of this [offensive] system of really thinking through how does it tie into a quarterback’s feet,” Lawrence said. “And that’s what we’ve been talking about, and it takes some work and flipping my stance, just some little things like that that are small that many people wouldn’t notice, but it is. I have so many banked reps of the other way, I’ve got to just get all these on my own and work so once camp comes around, I’m ready to go.”
As the Jaguars navigate this offseason, the focus remains on ensuring Lawrence is not only physically ready but also technically sound. The team is hopeful that these adjustments will translate into improved performance on the field, allowing Lawrence to lead the Jaguars with confidence and precision.
Originally Written by: Michael DiRocco
