Do the Jaguars have a glorified game manager in Trevor Lawrence?

In his first year as the head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Liam Coen is quickly learning a harsh truth: Trevor Lawrence can make all the throws, but he can miss all the throws, too.

That's the harsh truth that many fans and media are being forced to accept about their favorite team's highest-paid player in the aftermath of the Jaguars' 2025 season-opening win over the lowly Carolina Panthers.

The Jaguars may need to accept that Trevor Lawrence isn't a generational talent

Wins have been in short supply in Duval as of late. So, nobody in Jacksonville dismisses the joy associated with having a winning record for once. Most fans are fully cognizant of the significance of having pulled off a major offseason overhaul and starting the season with a victory.

Typically, just winning is enough to cover up any warts the team might have shown, and criticism would be reserved for another time. But something unusual is happening around the city this week. Although happy with the win, a number of fans and even media who have always defended Lawrence doggedly are subtly starting to lower his ceiling of expectations.

For example, Jeff Lageman had a number of honest critiques of Lawrence's play on 1010XL's Jaguars Today. He didn't trash him, but said he played "just ok." Later, he listed several mistakes Lawrence made.

When pressed by a caller, Dean, as to whether or not No. 16 will ever achieve the heights of quarterbacks such as Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen, he was forced to admit that he probably won't. You can listen to the call at the 26:22 mark:

Interestingly, co-host Tony Smith attempts to mitigate the criticism by pointing out that "most guys" won't achieve the excellence of Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson. But that's the point. Once upon a time, Trevor Lawrence was going to be that guy. His ceiling was supposed to be somewhere between Andrew Luck and Tom Brady, with a floor hovering around Joe Flacco. Now, it appears that observers are accepting that his peak is limited.

More callers chimed in with concerns about Lawrence, with one caller stating, "Don't expect Trevor Lawrence to be like Joe Burrow and Josh Allen and all of that... that's not gonna happen." After the show, Tony Smith posted his thoughts on the kinds of numbers Lawrence ought to aspire to:

But, again, look at where Smith is setting the bar. Gone are the notions of a generational quarterback who could put the team on his back and light up the league. This sort of thinking was not limited to Jaguars today, either.

On Jags A.M., a show which features extremely team-friendly takes from long time reporters John Oehser and Brian Sexton, Oehser casually lowered the bar for Trevor Lawrence as well:

"I don't know if he's ever going to be a top 3 quarterback in the NFL," John Oehser said. "He plays like this and builds on this; he's a quarterback you can win with. Maybe people don't want to hear that. But that's where he is now, and I think if he builds on where he is, you can get a lot done with him as he grows in this offense. "

Folks, that's a game manager. A game manager is defined as a quarterback who avoids mistakes like interceptions and fumbles, often relying on a strong defense and running game to win, rather than making big plays themselves. Given Coen's overt dedication to the running game and the team's new emphasis on Defense, that appears to be exactly the role envisioned for Lawrence.

Transforming Lawrence into a game manager is fine, by the way. It is possible to win with a game manager, though much harder than with a star quarterback, and that's what is disappointing. Lawrence was supposed to be a star, and on Sunday, new head coach Liam Coen appeared to take the ball out of Lawrence's hands after the interception, wisely avoiding a "Lawrence Special."

What is a Trevor Lawrence Special?

Trevor Lawrence leads the league in three-turnover games since 2020. No other quarterback... not Jameis Winston, not Josh Allen (who does turn it over a lot in total), not Tua Tagovailoa (who is in second place)... no quarterback has had more individual games with three turnovers than Lawrence since 2020.

When Lawrence gets sideways, it can go downhill in a hurry. So, Coen was wise to lean on his running game once Lawrence threw the pick. Liam Coen was the only first-time head coach to win his debut, and his knack for playcalling and offensive innovation is part of what landed him the job in Jacksonville.

Coen was a source of abundant optimism surrounding Lawrence this offseason too, having received a large portion of credit for Baker Mayfield's resurgence in Tampa. So, perhaps that's what is spurring this uncharacteristic post-win grumbling from fans and media.

Defenders have said to be patient... It's Lawrence's first game in Coen's system. This is fair. But, by comparison, Baker Mayfield was 24-of-30 for 289 yards with four touchdowns, no interceptions in his first outing under Coen. So... there's that.

Perhaps the most disturbing part of Lawrence's less-than-stellar performance on Sunday was the familiarity of his mistakes. Whether it be not seeing wide open guys or air mailing passes five feet over a receiver's head, observers have seen this story before. It hasn't mattered who is calling the plays, or if he's throwing to Bryan Thomas, Jr., Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, or Calvin Ridley. Fans in Jacksonville have seen him chuck it over all of their heads.

The good news is that it appears the new regime may have figured out Lawrence's limitations before the season, hence the emphasis on running the football and playing defense. If, over time, Gladstone and company can build up the roster around Lawrence to the levels of the Calais Campbell-led 2017 Jaguars, then the former Clemson Tiger could be more than enough to get the job done.

Can you imagine that 2017 team with Trevor Lawrence instead of Blake Bortles? It would have been that much better... right?

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