The Jaguars have added a Super Bowl winner to their quarterback room following Trevor Lawrence’s concussion last weekend.
Lawrence was sliding at the end of a run when the Texans’ Azeez Al-Shaair delivered a brutal helmet-to-helmet hit. Al-Shaair has since been suspended for three games by the NFL.
Now, with Lawrence very possibly set to miss the rest of the season for the struggling Jaguars, Jacksonville has added quarterback John Wolford to its practice squad, the team announced.
Wolford spent three seasons with the Rams and was the team’s backup quarterback when they defeated the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, in 2022.
He also saw preseason action for the Bucs last year.
Wolford has appeared in seven NFL games (four starts), posting 626 yards, one passing touchdown and five interceptions.
John Wolford, a Super Bowl winner with the Rams, has joined the Jaguars’ practice squad
Trevor Lawrence was met with a helmet-to-helmet hit by Azeez Al-Shaair despite sliding down
Lawrence suffered a concussion after the hit but was said to be ‘feeling better’ at home
Mac Jones replaced Lawrence after his injury on Sunday and looks set to be the Jaguars’ starter in the interim.
While Lawrence said he was ‘feeling better’ on Sunday night after being carted off of the field, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said he would be ‘surprised’ to see Lawrence come back this season.
The Jaguars (2-10) are eliminated from playoff contention with five games to go, and Lawrence was also dealing with a shoulder injury before being further injured by Al-Shaair’s hit.
‘I would say, frankly, in my opinion, I’d be surprised if we see Trevor Lawrence play again this season,’ Schetfer said on the Pat McAfee Show. ‘Like, why are we putting him out there? To me, it’s time to rest him up and start getting him ready for 2025.
‘He was dealing with a shoulder injury that he was playing through that was hard enough to be out there now you get this massive blow to his head where he has to be carted off.
‘Why are we going to put him back out there at 2-10? Like, what are we doing? Yeah, he’s extraordinarily tough, and he plays through everything but somebody needs to tell him in his best interest: ‘You shouldn’t be playing again this season.”
Al-Shaair, meanwhile, will be out of action until Week 17 after the league suspended him without pay – having also taken into his account his role in the mass brawl that ensued after his hit, and some of his previous offenses on the field as well.
In a letter to Al-Shaair, Vice President of Policy and Rules Administration Jon Runyan told him that the league considered the tackle an ‘unacceptable and a serious violation of the playing rules.’
‘Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated,’ Runyan said.
Al-Shaair had to be held back by his teammates when a brawl broke out after the tackle
Al-Shaair’s appeal hearing over his three-game suspension is on Wednesday, Josina Anderson reported.
Amid the fury over his tackle, Al-Shaair released a statement on Monday morning stressing that he only saw Lawrence sliding when it was ‘too late’ and that he never intended to harm him on the field.
‘I’ve always played the game as hard as I could. Never with the intent to harm anyone and anybody that knows me knows that,’ Al-Shaair wrote. ‘My goal is to hit you as hard as I can then I pray you’re still able to get up and play the next play. And when the game is over go home to your family unharmed because it’s not personal it’s just competition! We both are trying to do the same thing which is provide for our families!
‘I genuinely didn’t see him sliding until it was too late. And it all happens in the blink of an eye.
‘To Trevor i genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening. Before the game we spoke and I told you how it was great to see you back out on the field and wished you well. I would never want to see any player hurt because of a hit I put on them especially one that’s deemed ‘late’ or ‘unnecessary’.
‘To the rest of his teammates I can definitely understand you having his back and defending him in a situation like that. To the rest of the people who l’ve been called every single name in the book from reporters with their hands ready for a story to find their villain, to racist and Islamophobic fans and people, you don’t know my heart nor my character which I don’t need to prove to any of you.
‘God knows my intentions and anyone who has ever been a teammate or friend of mine knows my heart.’
