Jaguars exec Tony Khan: ‘Great to Have a Quarterback People Believe in’

Coming off a rocky rookie season, Trevor Lawrence made a huge leap in 2022. Jacksonville Jaguars football chief of operations Tony Khan has witnessed his rise firsthand and recently made an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show to talk about it.

Khan told Eisen that he saw Lawrence take on a leadership role in 2022, something he hadn’t previously seen him do.

“There were games this season earlier when we were 2-6, 3-7 along the way, Trevor Lawrence for the first time, I saw him coming up in the locker room and telling people that wasn’t acceptable”, Khan said. “I think that helped, it was a positive thing”.

“You’ve seen the way the team is going and he’s taken it upon himself. And he’s performed. He’s led but also everyone stepped up. It’s been a team effort and these have been team wins, from Doug, the whole coaching staff. Everybody stepped up and at some point, everyone’s been accountable”, Khan told Eisen.

Lawrence’s early development was hindered by Urban Meyer but he’s shown tremendous progress under the tutelage of Doug Pederson. His 4,113 passing yards were the ninth most in the NFL in 2022 and his 25 touchdowns were tied for the eighth most. Moreover, the former Clemson Tiger became the first quarterback in Jaguars’ history to register 25 passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns in the same season. Here’s the clip of Khan’s exchange with Rich Eisen.

The Jaguars have a leader in QB Trevor Lawrence

Although Lawrence has played two seasons, he’s arguably the most talented quarterback in team history. He still needs to put in the work and the numbers but he proved the Jags made the right decision when they picked him first overall in 2021.

Lawrence now needs to build on a productive sophomore campaign but there’s no reason to believe he won’t do it. In fact, there’s a chance he will be even better in 2023 given that the Jaguars have put together a superb surrounding cast.

Calvin Ridley is set to return from a suspension and he’ll round out a wide receiver corps that already includes a pair of playmakers in Zay Jones and Christian Kirk. The offensive line is also slated to return mostly intact. Right tackle Jawaan Taylor might leave in free agency but the Jags already have a replacement in Walker Little. Similarly, offensive guard Ben Bartch and left tackle Cam Robinson will be back after suffering season-ending injuries.

Lawrence improved in 2022 and is a big reason the Jags won the AFC South and made the playoffs for the first time since 20217. As Khan noted, it’s great to have a quarterback you can believe in.