The Jacksonville Jaguars saw their season come to an end when they lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card of the Playoffs. However, that doesn't make their success any less impressive. Far from it.
For starters, the Jags won 13 games last year, their most since 1999, with head coach Liam Coen leading the way. Similarly, Trevor Lawrence needed to prove that he was the long-term answer behind center. He delivered, and then some.
Following an injury-marred 2024, Lawrence had a career year under Coen, playing like a top-10 quarterback to finish the year. Aside from scoring a personal-best 39 total touchdowns, he threw for over 4,000 yards for the third time in his young NFL career. To nobody's surprise, the first overall pick in 2021 was nominated for two awards in the 2026 NFL honors after his impressive turnaround. Unfortunately, he went home empty-handed.
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars were snubbed in the 2026 NFL honors
Trevor Lawrence was nominated for Most Valuable Player and Comeback Player of the Year. He didn't win either award.
MVP went to Matthew Stafford. Apart from Lawrence, Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers), and Drake Maye (New England Patriots) were nominees.
On the other hand, the Comeback Player nod went to McCaffrey. Aidan Hutchinson (Detroit Lions), and quarterback Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) also earned consideration.
On a related note, Liam Coen was a candidate for NFL Coach of the Year, but Mike Vrabel took home the award. This isn't surprising when you take into account that he led the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl in just his first season at the helm.
Related: 5 players who failed to live up to expectations for the Jags in 2025
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars should feel great despite their lack of accolades
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars would've surely loved win one or two awards at the NFL honors. But their lack of hardware doesn't make their accomplishments in 2025 any less impressive. After all, most analysts predicted them to win six or seven games last season. Jacksonville not only exceeded expectations but became one of the hottest teams in the NFL. Lawrence and Liam Coen were among the biggest reasons why.
There's no doubt that football is a team sport, but your chances of winning will increase substantially if you have a franchise quarterback. The Jags have a pretty good one in Lawrence, who managed to hit his stride under Coen. It wasn't always pretty.
The former Clemson Tiger had to undergo an adjustment period early in the season. But once he got acclimated to the head coach's system, the most complex he had been in through his career, he flipped the switch and was a big reason his team ended the year riding a seven-game winning streak.
Of course, 2026 is a new year, one that will come with its own set of challenges. But based on how things unfolded last season, Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars should be hyped up about the future, even after getting snubbed in the NFL Honors.