5 Jaguars who must remain healthy to have a shot at playoffs in 2022

No. 1 Jaguars player who must remain healthy: Trevor Lawrence, QB

Nobody should be surprised Trevor Lawrence got the top spot on this list. After all, football is a team sport and all positions are important but none more than the quarterback, which has the biggest impact on the outcome of a game.

Sure, a franchise quarterback doesn’t guarantee your team will raise the Lombardi Trophy but it will give them a chance, and there might not be a signal-caller with a bigger upside in the league right now than Lawrence. He’s not a top 10 quarterback yet and he can’t compare to the likes of Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, or Patrick Wilson.

Having said that, Lawrence was dubbed a generational talent coming out of college and he showed, as a rookie, flashes of how good he can be. The Jaguars recognized that they have a potential quarterback in the making, so they upgraded his supporting cast and got him a head coach that is known for his work with quarterbacks in Doug Pederson.

If everything goes according to plan, Lawrence will make a big leap in Year 2, and he will give the Jags a fighting chance on a weekly basis, and maybe just maybe, a ticket to the playoffs in 2022. That’s why he must stay healthy. C.J. Beathard can make a few starts but the Jaguars’ chances of making the postseason will drop significantly if Lawrence gets hurt or is out for several games.

Joe Burrow showed how much a team can improve with a top quarterback at the helm, and Lawrence will have the opportunity to do the same for the Jaguars this upcoming season.