Deep breathes, Jaguars fans.
Trevor Lawrence is going to be okay.
"Really, on the non-throwing shoulder, this should have no impact on his NFL career," Dr. Chris Swanson of Southeast Orthopedics in Jacksonville explained this week.
News of Lawrence's impending surgery on his left labrum Friday may have spooked more than one Jaguars fan. Lawrence has been working out in Southern California to prepare for the Draft. The projected, No. 1 overall selection in this April's NFL Draft has never had any known, major surgeries during his career. That's why the need for a "left labrum repair," reportedly discovered during a "comprehensive physical," surprised so many.
The term "labrum" is enough to send shivers up the spine of any fan of the AFC South or NFC South, too. The labrum, or the protective tissue surrounding the shoulder socket, has played a major role in the trajectory of NFL careers before.
"Drew Brees had a huge labral tear, which was actually in his throwing shoulder," Swanson continued. "He was obviously able to come back. Well, that was at the end of his Chargers days. And so he's gone onto a nice, little career for the Saints and done quite well.
"[But the other example] would be Andrew Luck, who also had a tear of his labrum, and that kind of led him down a path towards retirement. So, he didn't have quite as good of an outcome from that."
The biggest difference between Lawrence's labrum tear and Brees & Luck's: it's in his non-throwing shoulder.
"Shoulder surgery is difficult to come back from if you're an overhead throwing athlete, but on your non throwing shoulder," Swanson added. "It's really predictable. He should be able to be back in the weight room fairly quickly. And you know, it should not have a huge impact on him going forward."
As far as the discrepancy between a "labrum repair" -- the exact wording ESPN and NFL Network used in reporting the injury -- and "surgery," Swanson says this is indeed surgery.
"If you're having surgery for a labrum tear, and you're having your labrum repaired, it usually means there's at least a small tear that's getting corrected and getting rid of where the tissues reattach back to the bone. It'd be unusual to have a surgery where you weren't having a little portion of it repaired because you probably wouldn't need surgery if that was the case.
"From what I've read, it sounds like he probably has a small tear of that labrum tissue, which means is a portion of that tissue detached from the bone. [But] it can be fairly easily reattached."
Of course, perhaps the biggest reason this injury was made public: Lawrence will throw for NFL scouts on Friday, February 12, instead of attend Clemson's Pro Day. This will allow for him to have the surgery mid-February and, as Swanson predicts, be back at full, NFL strength in three months time.
But should Jaguars fans be concerned about Lawrence throwing this upcoming weekend?
"Not at all. He's gonna be just fine -- again, especially since it's his non throwing shoulder," Swanson said. "And you know, he's certainly isn't going to make that any worse. If he was going to go out and get tackled, then maybe you want to think twice about that. But just to go through a Pro Day, he should have absolutely no problems with throwing, or with a labrum issue in his non-throwing shoulder."
Deep breathes, Jags fans.
It's going to be okay.