Trevor Lawrence says he feels 'better than he would've thought' after ankle injury

Trevor Lawrence spoke with media Wednesday for the first time since suffering an ankle injury during the Jacksonville Jaguars' overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on "Monday Night Football."

Lawrence was stepped on by offensive tackle Walker Little during the fourth quarter of the game, forcing his immediate exit, with backup quarterback C.J. Beathard finishing the contest.

But testing showed no structural damage to the third-year quarterback's ankle, just a high sprain, making him day-to-day on whether he'll play Sunday on the road against the Cleveland Browns.

"I feel a lot better than I would have thought," Lawrence said. He was able to walk without a boot or crutches on Wednesday but did not practice for the Jaguars. "I feel very fortunate that there wasn't a worse injury like I thought it was on the field. I'm thankful for that."

Lawrence spoke about the play where the injury occurred, saying there was a miscommunication with rookie wide receiver Parker Washington, who was playing in place of Christian Kirk, who was injured on the first drive of the game.

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As a result, Lawrence had to hold the ball longer than anticipated and couldn’t move because he intended to pass.

“I thought he was gonna do something different,” Lawrence said. He was very complimentary of the sixth-rounder out of Penn State, noting he made plenty of big plays for the Jaguars throughout the game. “It was a miscommunication, so I was kind of stuck behind Walker. I didn't drop [back] because I was trying to get [the ball] out quick.”

The injury disrupted one of his better performances this season. Lawrence had completed 22 of 29 passes for 258 yards while recording three touchdowns with nearly six minutes remaining in regulation.

It was a continuance of the hot streak he's been on, passing for 626 yards, accounting for six of Jacksonville's touchdowns in the two games prior to the Bengals.

Trevor Lawrence has yet to miss playing in an NFL game

Lawrence, who has never missed any of his 46 regular-season games in the NFL, told reporters Wednesday he won’t put the team at risk by playing if he can’t fully perform.

“The team's always the priority,” he said. “We had the same conversations before the New Orleans game earlier in the season. I’ll never put myself or the team in a position to where we're at a higher risk or we're not going to play our best because I'm not able to do my job.”

It’s the second time this season Lawrence is dealing with an injury that could affect his game status. After suffering a knee injury late in a game against the Colts, Lawrence was a game-time decision to play in a "Thursday Night Football" matchup against the New Orleans Saints just four days later.

He played in that game, leading the Jaguars to a victory while passing for 204 yards and leading the team in rushing yards with a season-high 59.

But as the week rolls on and the Jaguars try to maintain their lead in the AFC South, Lawrence is focused on doing the right things.

“I'm just going to take my time and do everything right with the medical people downstairs and trainers in the weight room,” he said. “Just check every box that I can to try to be able to play on Sunday.”

Trevor Lawrence addresses injury cart refusal

Toward the end of his availability, he was able to dispel a rumor that’s been growing about not having a cart available to carry him off the field.

“We talked about getting a cart and I was gonna get a cart,” he said. “I'm standing there and I'm already on the sideline at that point. The tunnel is right there. I just wanted to get off the field and get out there.

“I didn't know what was going on with my ankle and I felt like I could get off.  I was like, ‘Hey, you’re good. Just don't bring it out. I’m going in.’”

Juston Lewis is a sports reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @JustonLewis.