Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence heads to the Hall of Fame game as more of a coach than player on Thursday.

Head coach Doug Pederson said Lawrence is not playing in the preseason kickoff showcase in Canton, Ohio, even with No. 2 quarterback C.J Beathard limited by a groin injury.

Jake Luton will start and go well into the game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

“Trevor’s been getting a lot of great looks here in practice,” Pederson said.

Lawrence, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has taken quickly to a new system that requires pre-snap adjustments and constant motion from backs and receivers.

“Like every offense, there’s little things that you just learn and deeper and deeper every time you go through – nuances based on certain coverages, certain checks,” Lawrence said. “You get to the point where it all opens up. And it’s like, ‘OK, this is also something you could check to, if you don’t like this look, and you see you have a matchup here,’ and then it goes off of that. It’s always evolving.

Pederson said Lawrence is in a “good spot” with more than a month to prepare for the NFL regular-season opener against the Washington Commanders.

Beathard’s status could be updated, but he’s not expected to play, Pederson said. Running back Travis Etienne (illness) is also out.

–Field Level Media