JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Jeff from Middleburg, FL

Well, O. I believe we have seen Trevor taking his last snaps in a Jags uniform. Hate to see it end the way it has, but as we turn to the future, what do you believe are the next steps? Will we draft a talented rookie? Go with a trusted vet? Make a big trade? Hoping we turn this around!

I read and reread this email to see if I was missing something. The Jaguars indeed placed quarterback Trevor Lawrence on injured reserve Wednesday after he sustained a concussion in a loss to the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium this past Sunday. The move effectively ended Lawrence's 2024 season. While he could under NFL rules return for the regular-season finale, there is little point in that with the team having been eliminated from the postseason Monday. But Lawrence being placed on injured reserve does not in any way mean he has taken his final snaps in a Jaguars uniform. He signed a long-term contract extension this past offseason and there's no reason to believe he won't be the quarterback for the foreseeable future.

David from Denver, CO

What recourse, if any, does an NFL owner have with the league or other owners when an opposing player tries to take out your $270 million investment? I get he got a three-game suspension, but if I'm the owner, heads are rolling somewhere, and I'm doing everything in my power to not let that player see the football field ever again.

The NFL suspended Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair three games for his hit on Lawrence this past Sunday. That suspension is without pay and will cost Al-Shaair $256,000. That's what the league rules dictate. That's the recourse.

Charles from Savannah

The hit on Trevor is not Azeez Al-Shaair's first incident. He choked Tom Brady and punched Roschon Johnson to name a few. Obviously, Al-Shaair refuses to take responsibility for his actions. Trevor is now on injured reserve, and I doubt Al-Shaair will correct his ways. A three-game suspension is a slap on the wrist. Who decides the penalties for players actions in the NFL? Is it Roger Goodell?

A three-game suspension isn't a slap on the wrist in the NFL. Former NFL offensive lineman Jon Runyan is the NFL's vice president of policy and rules. He and executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent oversee this area.

Richard from Lincoln, RI

So, Trevor ends up losing more playing time than the hitman from Houston. This league, which is so determined to be focused on safety for players, just showed us it is not. That three-game suspension should have been a one-year suspension without question! I know you'll probably disagree, but what's your thoughts?

I think three games is a significant suspension in the NFL and I think it sends a pretty clear message that Al-Shaair will be suspended far longer for a similar incident in the future. I thought a suspension for the rest of the season would have been appropriate, though I would have been surprised had the league suspended him that long.

Cellar Dweller from EverBank septic tank.

O, how long till we just put a dress and flags on the QBs?

Cellar Dweller's got (really old) jokes.

Bob from Sumter, SC

Just read that the Ravens suspended Deontae Johnson for refusing to enter the game. They obviously don't know how to handle these situations. Head Coach Doug Pederson would have had a great conversation with him after the game because it's the coach's job to get the best out of each player, plus at this point in the season players get tired. He's probably a great guy that everyone has a lot of respect for, too. These things happen, right?

Bob's got (long-winded) jokes.

Nate from Fogertyville

I feel like it needs to be asked. If the Jags get the No. 1 overall pick, do they consider quarterback? They could trade Trevor and get out of that contract. I like Trevor and personally think he needs more time to develop but I feel like if you are the gm and coach you have to consider it right?

I don't expect the Jaguars to select No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. They're 2-10 with the NFL's worst record entering a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, but the schedule gets more manageable in the coming weeks and I expect the Jaguars to win their way out of selecting first. If they do select first, though they must consider everything, I expect any consideration about selecting quarterback to be brief enough to essentially be no consideration. If the current regime/head coach/general manager is in place, that group would build around Lawrence. If there are different elements in place, that group would also build around Lawrence.

Brendan from Moral High Ground, Alone.

Draft the big dudes early, take a flyer on a WR day two or three. All this Travis Hunter mocked to Jags nonsense makes me want to vomit.

Wow.

Daniel from Johnston, IA

I will say this, Houston General Manager Nick Caserio and Head Coach DeMeco Ryans stood by their player. I imagine every other player on the Texans took notice. That's certainly not going to hurt come re-signing time. Am I wrong?

It won't hurt, I suppose. It also won't mean that much compared to money. That's what usually decides decisions in free agency.

Dennis from Orange Park

Why not sign a top-quality quarterback instead of guys that has no chance of playing for the team?

Who ya got?

Mason from Jacksonville

What are your thoughts on defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton and safety Andre Cisco? Hamilton was extended a few years ago and now is nonexistent in the middle - along with our other interior defensive lineman. This was supposed to be Cisco's contract year and I feel like he is a liability in the secondary. What is your assessment and what do you think the chances are of one or both players being on the Jaguars roster next year?

Hamilton has been better than nonexistent. Cisco has had a very tough season. I expect Hamilton to be with the Jaguars next season.

Rob from Middleburg

I'll tell you where Pederson's "gut-level intensity" went. It disappeared when the collapse last season ripped the confidence and swagger out of the coaching staff and the players. In my opinion, it damaged the psyche of this team and they have never recovered. Doug's biggest challenge during the last offseason was to help the players and his staff move on from the disappointment of collapsing down the stretch and that didn't happen. At 8-3 last year, if Trevor is hit like that, I think Doug has a much stronger reaction.

Maybe.

Charlie from The Suburbs

I received an email from my child's teacher that some Jaguars players will be visiting their school in a few weeks for a literacy event. The team is 2-10. Perhaps the players' time would be better spent practicing? If the school kids want to see Jaguars players up close, let them buy some club seats.

I'm answering this question because I assume it's a serious question, though I would feel far better that weren't the case. The Jaguars, like all NFL teams, have a day off each week. This is because NFL rules mandate this. Players often visit schools and other organizations.

Rob from St. Augustine, FL

Stop wearing teal pants.

It's always pants in the NFL.

Michael from Palm Coast, FL

John, Assuming that the Jags make a change at head coach, what do you think of Mike Vrabel as a candidate? He is respected and knows the AFC South.

I like former Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel because he inspires players and they generally buy into what he's saying. I don't know that it's safe to assume the Jaguars will make a change at head coach.

Phil from Baton Rouge

Doug to the offense: "When I want five yards, I'll put in [running back] Tank [Bigsby]. When I want 3.5 yards, I'll put in Etienne." Proceeds to put in Etienne.

I don't recall Pederson saying this.

John from Hopkins, MN

Is it too much to ask for our running backs to get into the game earlier? Don't even have to be handoffs, pitches/screens to running back Travis Etienne Jr. should be more common in my opinion.

The Jaguars under Pederson aren't going to be a turn-around-and-hand-the-ball-to-the-running-back offense. It's not how they're built.

Motler from C-ville

We live in Virginia. My 12-year-old son faithfully wears his Jaguars hoodie to school every Monday. I tell him Middle School is already tough enough. He says he's been a fan since birth and can handle it. It makes me both proud and sad. Hoping he gets to walk through the halls with his head held high sometime in the near future.

I think I would like your son.