Trevor Lawrence gets encouraging praise from Bill Belichick

While Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has his fair share of critics, he’s also got a vast number of supporters on his corner. And ahead of the Jags matchup against the New England Patriots in Week 17, head coach Bill Belichick spoke highly of him.

Belichick met with the media Friday and said Jacksonville did a good job against the New York Jets in Week 17. He then talked about Lawrence, whom he believes may turn out to be a great NFL player.

"They did a good job last week against the Jets, mixing in different varieties of passes: quick throws, moving pocket throws, deep balls, third down conversions, red area plays. He’s pretty good at all of them and continues to get better. I think he’s had a good year and I think he’ll be a solid NFL player, maybe great. I don’t know, but he’s certainly made a lot of progress this year.”"

For context, Lawrence doesn’t have “solid” numbers in 2021. He’s completed 58.7 percent of his passes for 3,225 yards with nine touchdowns and 14 interceptions.  In his defense, there didn’t seem to be a plan in place to develop him when Urban Meyer was the head coach and he doesn’t have many weapons at his disposal. That Belichick thinks he can turn the corner in spite of how things have gone for the Jaguars and their rookie passer reflects well on Lawrence.

Trevor Lawrence will have a tough matchup vs. the Patriots.

The Patriots quickly rebounded from a 7-9 season in 2021 and are currently 9-7 with a good chance to qualify for the playoffs. Led by rookie quarterback Mac Jones, their offense currently ranks outside the top ten in points scored. The Jaguars’ defense will need to slow them down and Lawrence will have to make enough plays to keep up with New England. That might be a tough ask, as Jacksonville’s offense hasn’t been consistent this season.

Make no mistake, Belichick never puts down his opponents and it’s great to see him talk about Lawrence in a positive light but the “Hoodie” has a penchant for hyping his opponents when he meets with the media but he holds no punches on the football field. Expect him to cook something for the Jaguars rookie Sunday.

Keep in mind that Belichick’s track record against rookie quarterbacks is an illustrious one, 24-8, according to NFL Research. He knows how to scheme and take advantage of the fact that they’re still adjusting to the pros.

Trevor Lawrence has displayed flashes this season and if the Jaguars want him to become that quarterback Belichick believes he can be, they will need to put him in a position to succeed next year. For the time being, they need to get ready to take on New England.