Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence rings in New Year with wife Marissa and teammates at a Florida restaurant as optimism grows in Jacksonville that he could return from a shoulder injury

With Sunday's win over the Carolina Panthers in hand, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and his wife Marissa rang in the new year with some teammates and friends at a restaurant in Neptune Beach, Florida.

Lawrence, who has been sidelined due to a shoulder injury, shared a midnight kiss with Marissa in one of the many photos on her Instagram feed.

“Happy New Year,” Marissa wrote on Instagram. 'We have to celebrate our evening [Hawkers Asian Street Food] and it was the most wonderful time. So grateful to ring in the new year with so many loved ones.'

Photos from the event show the high school sweethearts embracing in front of a “2024” sign and other photos of Marissa hanging out with friends.

Others in attendance included Jaguars defensive end Adam Gotsis and his girlfriend Alexandra Sanders, safety Rayshawn Jenkins and his fiancée Emily Lillard, as well as defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris and his wife Krystal Robertson-Harris.

The couple met when they were high school students in Tennessee and remained together

Marissa Lawrence kisses Trevor, whom she married in 2021 after years of dating

The New Year's Eve party featured a photo booth operated by 904photoco, a company that shared photos of the event on its own Twitter feed.

“Ending 2023 with a Jags win and an epic NYE party!” read the company's message. “Thanks for having us @marissa_lawrence @tlawrence16! I wish everyone a happy new year from 904 PHOTO.'

Lawrence and Marissa met as high school students in Knoxville, Tennessee before his decorated college career at Clemson, during which she became a football star at Anderson University in South Carolina, about 30 minutes away.

The Jags were able to bring back Lawrence and receiver Christian Kirk for their regular season finale at Tennessee, a game that will help determine the AFC South.

Lawrence missed Sunday's 26-0 drubbing of Carolina due to a sprained throwing shoulder, ending a streak of 51 consecutive starts for the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft. Kirk sat out the past four games while recovering from a groin surgery.

Marissa Lawrence is pictured with friends at a restaurant in Neptune Beach, Florida, on Sunday

Coach Doug Pederson said Monday that Lawrence is “making progress” and “definitely improving.” He did not train last week and was ruled out on Friday. Pederson added that they will “see what his limitations might be” on Wednesday.

The Jaguars (9-7) expect to open Kirk's 21-day practice period on Wednesday and see how much he can do in practice. Kirk walked away last week. He injured his groin making a 26-yard catch during the opening game against Cincinnati on December 4.

'He is doing well. He's doing really well,” Pederson said. “It was definitely a bad injury for him and obviously bad for our attack, but he's now in a position to maybe help us this week. This time of year you definitely want your best players on the pitch and for us he is one of those players.”

Kirk has 57 receptions for 787 yards and three touchdowns this season. Kirk is Lawrence's most reliable receiver. His potential return would come at the right time for Jacksonville, which lost backup receiver and returner Jamal Agnew for the remainder of the season with a broken bone in his lower left leg.

Jaguars coach Doug Pederson could be on the verge of getting Lawrence and Kirk back

Jags doctors are checking on Christian Kirk after he was injured during a December 4 game

The Jaguars could also get fellow receiver Zay Jones back. Jones has missed the past two games and eight of the past 14 due to knee and hamstring problems.

Jacksonville could use Lawrence, Kirk and Jones in a win-and-win game against the Titans (5-11) on Sunday. If the Jags win, they would reach the AFC South for the second consecutive season and earn the No. 4 seed in the conference playoffs.

If they lose, the winner of Houston-Indianapolis would secure the South and Jacksonville would have to hope for help sneaking into the playoffs. Pederson's team had lost four straight before playing turnover-free football against the Panthers and posting the ninth shutout in franchise history.

“Oh, I think it can give a team a lot of confidence and that's what we needed,” Pederson said. “We needed something that would go well for us, and it did. It wasn't a pretty win, I'd say. … It can definitely give your team a boost right now.”