Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence reflects on challenges he faced as a rookie

The Jacksonville Jaguars always knew that Trevor Lawrence was going to experience a learning curve in the 2021 season. What they didn’t provably envision was that he and the whole team were going to finish the year with a 3-14 record. The former Clemson Tiger recently looked back at his rookie campaign and how it’s helped him become a better and more mature player ahead of the 2022 season.

Lawrence appeared on The Herd with Colin Cowherd and touched on several topics, including what went through his mind during his first NFL campaign and what he learned from it. Right off the bat, he acknowledges that “it was a long year, for sure” but says that he tried to have a positive mindset throughout the season.

"I think I’ve stayed pretty positive the whole year. There are definitely some times where, especially after a game, you’re going home and you’re just like, ‘man… last year on a losing streak of five or six games in a row. It gets a little rough. I hadn’t lost more than five or six games probably my whole career up until taht point. So that was a reality check for sure."

The Jaguars quarterback goes on to say that staying positive and keeping the team together was something he tried to do the whole season. He then adds that Jacksonville’s struggles gave him a “bigger appreciation for winning” and he’s “going into a new year with a lot of confidence”. Here’s the whole sitdown in case you want to give it a listen:

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence has the right mindset ahead of Year 2

Before the 2021 NFL Draft, questions about Lawrence’s commitment to football arose because he said that his life didn’t revolve around the sport. This writer pointed out at the time that the criticism was silly because he strived for balance in his life and didn’t want football to define him. Looking back, this was a non-story and looks silly in retrospect, as he went on to show he had the maturity and mental fortitude to withstand whatever challenges he would encounter in his first NFL season.

Lawrence and every player that was on the Jaguars’ roster last year would surely like a re-do after enduring the Urban Meyer debacle. However, there’s nothing they can do but move on and take the good that comes with the bad. As the young signal-caller noted during his conversation with Colin Cowherd, there’s a new coaching staff in place and a better team around him, so there’s no reason to dwell in the past.

In spite of all the chances the Jaguars made in the offseason, they aren’t a playoff-caliber team just yet. Having said that, Trevor Lawrence should make a big leap in Year 2 and help Jacksonville leave the AFC South cellar.