When the Jacksonville Jaguars hired Liam Coen as the head coach, one of the reasons was that he could get the most out of Trevor Lawrence. This made sense when you take into account that the first-year head coach helped quarterback Baker Mayfield put it all together in 2024.
After taking over the Jags, Coen spent the next few months working with Lawrence to hone his mechanics and ability to process his reads. The duo was able to show the fruit of their labor against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. The results were a mixed bag.
Lawrence went 19-of-31 for 178 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Just good enough to help Jacksonville win 26-10, but not particularly impressive. Just a couple days before Week 1, an NFL voice wondered whether No. 16 could deliver in what figures out to be a make-or-break year. It's fair to say that the jury is still out one week into the regular season.
A key trait is holding Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence back
Jared Dubin of CBS Sports sorted out the good and bad in Trevor Lawrence's career since the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted him first overall in 2021. Talking to different people, he identified several things that have kept him from living up to the generational level, some external, but a few of them are of his own doing.
"This is a theme that comes up no matter who you talk to about Lawrence, the idea that the situation has held him back. It probably has, but plenty of other quarterbacks have been able to overcome situational factors to find success anyway, and that's where Lawrence has come up short," Dubin wrote. "Coming into the league, Lawrence was billed as the kind of player who could transcend his situation and lift up the players around him with his elite talent -- talent that almost anyone around the league will tell you is still there. But that hasn't yet been the case."
Later in his article, Dubin cites accuracy as the biggest reason Lawrence has yet to reach his full potential in the NFL, and he might be onto something.
The Jaguars have done everything they can to help Trevor Lawrence
As noted before, Dubin posted his column before the season opener, but the accuracy issues were evident during the game. Lawrence missed several throws he's previously shown he's capable of making. In the aftermath, Liam Coen told the press that the fifth-year quarterback did indeed miss passes but otherwise did a good job considering that he's getting acclimated to a new offensive system.
The issue with that is that Baker Mayfield was significantly better in his first game under Coen, throwing four touchdown passes and no interceptions. Granted, it's a small sample, but it might be a sign that either the former Clemson Tiger may need time to hit his stride, or perhaps he may not be nearly as good as he was thought to be coming out of college.
The difference is that, unlike past years, Lawrence has no excuse. The team's brass fortified his arsenal, adding Dyami Brown and Travis Hunter to a group that already included budding star Brian Thomas Jr. On top of that, Jacksonville made upgrades to the defense, so he no longer has to put the team on his shoulders. Simply put, the Jaguars have lived up to the end of their bargain. Lawrence must now live up to his.
It's also worth noting that Dubin is far from the only analyst who wonders whether Lawrence can play at a high level on a consistent basis. B&T's own Jeff Tice recently mused whether it may be time to temper expectations.
The bottom line is that one game into the regular season, it's still not clear whether Trevor Lawrence is that guy. He may be, and by the end of the season, these kinds of opinions could look silly. Having said that, the Jaguars quarterback hasn't done enough to alleviate concerns, and the clock is ticking.