The Jacksonville Jaguars announced the signing of former Miami Dolphins quarterback C.J. Beathard. Beathard was recently on the Dolphins' practice squad and will now presumably play backup.
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Though the signing might seem odd, there appears to be an injury concern with Trevor Lawrence.
According to Adam Schefter, "With Trevor Lawrence admitting he was beat up and sore after Sunday's loss to the Eagles, the Jaguars signed QB C.J. Beathard off Miami's practice squad and onto their roster. Now the question will be how much Lawrence does or doesn't practice ahead of Sunday's game vs. the Vikings."
Lawrence admitted to being hurt following the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles game on Sunday. The Jaguars dropped a close one to the Eagles, with a final score of 28-23. In the game, Lawrence was sacked twice but took three additional hits.
Naturally, he took some damage, and that damage might lead to his not being able to suit up on Sunday. Injury reports for all teams should come out on Wednesday, and they will give an insight into what exactly Lawrence is dealing with.
From the sounds of Schefter's tweet, Lawrence could be dealing with more than just one ailment. If he is given a "did not practice" designation for today, it would cast more worry about him being available for Sunday.
The Jaguars are set to take on the Minnesota Vikings, which will be a tough test.
According to an additional report from Ian Rapoport via Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, Lawrence is dealing with "upper body" soreness. Beathard has been signed as insurance, while Mac Jones will remain Lawrence's backup.
It appears that the Jaguars do not want to take any chances with their quarterback play, and want to ensure that a veteran can step up should Lawrence not be able to suit up. Also, if Mac Jones were to get hurt, the team would need to have a third quarterback ready to go.
Beathard is that third quarterback. He also knows the Jaguars well, having spent the 2021 to 2023 seasons with the team. Before that, he played for the San Francisco 49ers.
Beathard has secured 3,886 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions through his six-season career. He also appeared in 32 games during his career.
The Jaguars are currently 2-7 on the season are are all but looking at a lost season. The worst thing that could happen would be that Lawrence suffers a big injury. For now, it would be best to let him heal and allow Jones to take over.