Jaguars: 3 reasons why criticism for Trevor Lawrence is too harsh

1. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is a rookie after all.

It’s easy to forget Trevor Lawrence is a rookie. Perhaps it’s his demeanor or maybe the way he approaches his job. Regardless of the reason, the former Clemson Tiger has played just nine games in the NFL and is far from a finished product.

Sure, Lawrence was the most talented quarterback prospect to come out of college ranks in recent years but he’s still adjusting to the pros. The talent is there but expecting him to play like Peyton Manning or Troy Aikman in their prime may be unrealistic. In fact, those two signal-callers also struggled in their respective rookie campaigns but both went on to have successful careers in the NFL.

Lawrence could go through a similar path. Now, he’s got a long way to go before he can be compared to Manning or Aikman but both players show it sometimes takes time to see tangible results.

Calling Lawrence a bust or wanting C.J. Beathard to start is the definition of a hot take. Beathard could prove some short-term relief but he may already have reached his ceiling and Lawrence has significantly more potential. Benching Lawrence and hampering his long-term development just to get a few more wins doesn’t make sense and is something the Jaguars shouldn’t even consider.

The truth is that Lawrence has shown signs of progress in the past few months. He’s thrown just three touchdowns in the last six games but he’s also cut down on his number of interceptions. After throwing seven in the first three weeks of the year, he’s registered just two in the last six.