Jaguars HC Doug Pederson has Trevor Lawrence’s seal of approval

Even though the Jacksonville Jaguars made the hiring of head coach Doug Pederson official less than a week ago, his quarterback already gave him his seal of approval and is excited to work with him.

Trevor Lawrence recently appeared on NFL Total Access and talked about Pederson and his early impression of his new head coach, the second he’s had in as many years. The former Clemson Tiger says they already met a couple of times. First on Thursday, before the hire was official, and later when he arrived in Jacksonville and the team held his introductory press conference. So far, the young passer believes likes what he sees in Pederson.

"So I’m really excited. I think personality-wise, we mesh really well. I think we’re similar and just kind of seeing the job he did in Philly and the success they had and the things they were able to do offensively. It’s really impressive. And I do think it’s cool having a head coach who is that offensive guy, who was a quarterback, has that experience to draw from I’m really excited for that. And I think it’s gonna be a great combination and excited to see the rest of the staff come into place and really just get back to work and make all these improvements."

When Lawrence talks about the success Pederson had with the Philadelphia Eagles, he’s most likely referring to 2017, the year they won their first Super Bowl in franchise history. The first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft later talked about the adjuments he had to make in his first NFL season. He says situational football is more important in the pros when compared to college. He then adds that games in the NFL are more competitive and often come down to one or two possessions, whereas you can win by multiple scores at the collegiate level. Here’s the exchange Lawrence had with Total Access’ host MJ Acosta-Ruiz and Hall-of-Fame quarterback Kurt Warner:

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence has the right coach in Doug Pederson.

After the Urban Meyer fiasco, the Jaguars needed to hire a head coach who could get the most out of Lawrence. During his rookie campaign, the rookie struggled and led the league with 17 interceptions. While he deserves some of the blame, the coaching staff didn’t seem to have a plan to bring him along. The fact that he didn’t have an optimal supporting cast didn’t help matters but that was then and this is now.

Despite the fact that the Jags weren’t able to get Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich to fill the vacancy left by Meyer, they got a good head coach in Pederson. His hire got one of the best marks from the most recent cycle and should be able to help Lawrence make meaningful progress in Year 2.

Back in Philly, Pederson helped Carson Wentz turn into a high level in just his second season. The former North Dakota State Bison has suffered a dip in production over the last two years but it doesn’t look like Pederson’s played a role in his fall from grace. The Jaguars head coach should be able to put Lawrence in a position to succeed.

The Jags got a head coach and are putting the final touches on his coaching staff. Once they’re done, they can turn their attention to getting Lawrence some weapons in both free agency and the 2022 NFL Draft. They have the resources, it’s time the organization puts them to good use.