NFL injuries: Trevor Lawrence update, Derek Carr concern and Pittsburgh Steelers surgery
Trevor Lawrence, Derek Carr and Kenny Pickett all feature in the latest NFL injury roundup with the quarterbacks suffering late-season injuries that could have big consequences.
Week 13 generated many significant injury storylines with the NFL postseason rapidly approaching, with Trevor Lawrence, Derek Carr and Kenny Pickett all being knocked out of their respective games with injuries.
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The Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers have been left with significant questions and concerns over the quarterback position as a result.
The Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns, meanwhile, have all received bad news about their receiving corps with Christian Watson, Tank Dell and Amari Cooper on the injury report. Here are the injury storylines to keep an eye out for heading into Week 14...
Trevor Lawrence – Jacksonville Jaguars (ankle)
Monday was a bad night for the Jags, falling to a surprise defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals and suffering a big blow in their hopes of claiming the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Their woes were compounded by a fourth-quarter injury to star quarterback Lawrence, with C.J. Beathard stepping in for the end of regulation and overtime. With the weeks rapidly running out, Jags fans naturally feared Lawrence’s season might be over when he left the stadium on crutches with a protective boot. However, NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reports the 24-year-old has avoided a serious injury and he will be back before the end of the campaign. However, his participation in Sunday’s trip to the Cleveland Browns is in doubt, with head coach Doug Pederson confirming Lawrence has a high-ankle sprain.
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Christian Watson – Green Bay Packers (hamstring)
The second-year receiver has come alive in recent weeks, discovering a chemistry with quarterback Jordan Love which has helped the Packers’ offense fire into action. Watson caught seven passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s big win over the Kansas City Chiefs, backing up a stellar Thanksgiving performance against the Detroit Lions. Watson was held back by injuries in the early weeks of the season, and he was unable to see Sunday’s victory through to the end due to a hamstring issue. Head coach Matt LaFleur is yet to provide a significant update on the 24-year-old’s fitness, but Watson is certainly a name to keep an eye out for on this week’s injury report. The Packers travel to the New York Giants for Monday Night Football to round off Week 14’s games.
Derek Carr – New Orleans Saints (concussion, shoulder, back)
Carr has endured an injury-hit first season with the Saints after joining from the Las Vegas Raiders, with shoulder issues and a concussion affecting in previous weeks. The 32-year-old is dealing with a second concussion in the space of three weeks after taking a ferocious hit from Detroit Lions pass rusher Bruce Irvin in the fourth quarter on Sunday. Carr hobbled from the field and headed to the locker room, with the team later announcing he was being evaluated for shoulder and back issues as well as the head injury concern. With all that to clear up, it seems like a long shot Carr will suit up for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
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Kenny Pickett – Pittsburgh Steelers (ankle)
Sunday was a miserable day for the Steelers, suffering a blowout defeat to the Arizona Cardinals on home turf and losing their starting quarterback to injury in the process. Pickett was knocked out of the game with an ankle sprain and he underwent “tightrope” surgery on Monday, putting his involvement for the rest of the regular season in doubt. The second-year QB has been ruled out of Thursday’s game with the New England Patriots, with backup Mitch Trubisky taking his place, and Pickett could miss further games, putting the 7-5 Steelers at a heightened risk of missing the playoffs.
Tank Dell – Houston Texans (leg)
C.J. Stroud has been perhaps the story of the season so far, with the rookie QB putting himself in the frame for the MVP award thanks to a remarkable debut campaign. But he has been helped along the way by another rookie in third-round selection Dell. The wideout has an impressive 709 receiving yards to his name across just 10 games, but Stroud and the Texans will have to make do without the 24-year-old for the rest of the year. Head coach DeMeco Ryans has confirmed Dell fractured his fibula in Sunday’s win over the Denver Broncos, meaning Stroud will have to rely more on the likes of Noah Brown, Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz to move the ball.
Amari Cooper – Cleveland Browns (concussion)
The Browns offense has been savaged by injuries over the course of the season, with star running back Nick Chubb the first man to go down for the year, followed by QB Deshaun Watson. And Cleveland has been dealt another blow ahead of Sunday’s crucial clash in the AFC playoff race with the Jacksonville Jaguars. No. 1 receiver Cooper is in concussion protocol after he was unable to complete the game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Cooper, who has 799 receiving yards on the year, faces a race against time to be cleared by an independent neurologist for Sunday’s showdown with the Jags, and the odds are not in the 29-year-old’s favor.
