The Jacksonville Jaguars are confident that Trevor Lawrence is their long-term answer behind center, and their offseason moves reflected that. Now, he must do his part and prove that he's the same quarterback who propelled them to the playoffs and help them earn a division title in 2022. An NFL writer believes he's in a position to pull it off.
Ted Nguyen of The Athletic drew up a list of NFL offenses ready for a breakout and included the Jaguars, citing the arrival of head coach Liam Coen as one of the reasons this will be the year Lawrence puts it all together.
"This will be the year quarterback Trevor Lawrence lives up to his draft billing! *ducks*" Nguyen wrote. "After Lawrence's best season in 2022, when he threw 30 touchdowns to only eight interceptions, former head coach Doug Pederson gave up play-calling, but they hired one of the hottest offensive minds in the league in Liam Coen to give Lawrence the advantage in that department."
Nguyen continued, "Last season, as the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator, Coen was the architect of one of the most creative run games in the league. The Buccaneers went from 30th in EPA per rush in 2023 to tied for second in 2024."
The Buccaneers' running game was also one of the best in the league in traditional statistics under Coen. They went from dead last in rushing yards and 28th in rushing touchdowns in 2023 to fourth and 14th, respectively, last year. On top of that, Baker Mayfield also posted career numbers. Lawrence should also see an uptick in production in 2025.
Now, Nguyen is far from the only analyst who's bullish on the former Clemson Tiger ahead of the regular season. Nate Tice of Yahoo! Sports included him on his top-10 quarterback list, not because of how he played in 2024 but rather what he can accomplish with Coen as his head coach.
Having said that, Lawrence has routinely popped up in the late teens and early 20s of most quarterback rankings because he hasn't been nearly as dominant as he was in 2022, the past two seasons. Of course, he's responsible for some of his struggles, but some things that have held him back are out of his control.
As Nguyen noted, Doug Pederson handed playcalling duty and Lawrence's development to Press Taylor, who was underqualified for both tasks. With Pederson not actively coaching Lawrence, his mechanics and decision-making suffered a dip. Similarly, No. 16's supporting cast left much to be desired and frequently found himself having to play at a nearly flawless level to give his team a chance to win.
On the other hand, Lawrence has struggled to stay healthy, and that's hindered his growth and consistency as a passer. Sure, there's a random element to injuries, but you must be available on game day. Otherwise, it won't matter how talented you are. The good news is that the Jaguars have been doing their part to ensure the fifth-year quarterback can bounce back in 2025.
The Jaguars are giving Trevor Lawrence everything he needs to break out in 2025
The new regime is committed to building the team around Trevor Lawrence. Aside from beefing up the offensive line, it bolstered the wide receiver corps. On top of that, the Jacksonville Jaguars are putting a renewed emphasis on establishing the run. This will take some pressure off his shoulders.
It's also worth noting that the defense got reinforcements, so he won't have to score 30 points every game to win. When you add it all up, the Knoxville, Tennessee native is in a prime position to bounce back and even help the Jags make a playoff push.
The thing is that Lawrence will need to show he can stay healthy, something he's failed to do the past two years. If he does it, there's nothing impeding him from once again joining the discussion about the top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL.