Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has performed at a high level at several points throughout his career. However, he hasn't been nearly as consistent as the Jacksonville Jaguars would surely like. Just recently, NFL coach Jon Gruden suggested how they could unlock his potential and get him to live up to his draft billing.
Gruden visited the Jags ahead of the preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He later had a sitdown with team reporter J.P. Shadrick and talked about how he would coach Lawrence, pointing out that you have to challenge your quarterback on a constant basis.
"Well, I know how I did it, you know? That's probably why I'm not doing it anymore. I would be very hard on a quarterback," Gruden said when asked how he would get the most out of Lawrence (1:28 mark). "We don't win unless the quarterback plays at a very high level. I don't care who you're talking about. We won a Super Bowl with Brad Johnson. He led the NFC in passing efficiency, and he was stellar down the stretch. The kid has to play better."
Gruden continued, "I hope. I'm sure he has immersed himself in the system, but he's got to bring out of his teammates. He's got to play outside of himself. He's got to get the line to block better for him. He's got to get everyone to do the details better. I think he's got to be like Tom Brady was, Drew Brees was. You got to be the first guy in, the last guy to go, challenge people to the point where it's uncomfortable and put pressure on yourself, but at the same time, you got to make plays. And that's why I think he was the No. 1 overall pick.
Gruden knows a thing or two about playing football, having turned the then-Oakland Raiders into a perennial contender at the turn of the century and winning the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. Moreover, he routinely had his quarterbacks play at a high level.
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Liam Coen and the Jaguars must push Trevor Lawrence, and that will trickle down
Jon Gruden has a point. Sure, you could argue that his second stint with the Las Vegas Raiders wasn't successful or that his track record at identifying talent was dreadful. However, he had Derek Carr, Rich Gannon, and Brad Johnson playing at a high level. This is a long-winded way to say that he's qualified to talk about how the Jaguars can get the most out of Trevor Lawrence, who's entering a pivotal year of his career.
Lawrence most definitely has the talent to play at a high level. However, he's been inconsistent and has struggled to stay healthy the past two years. Some of that is due to the team's inability to give him an adequate supporting cast. The fact that he had subpar coaching hasn't helped either, and that's where Gruden's remarks resonate.
Doug Pederson helped Lawrence bounce back from the Urban Meyer era but didn't take an active part in his development and didn't push him the last two years. Without guidance and nobody to coach him hard, No. 16 was underwhelming in 2024 before he suffered a shoulder injury that cut his season short. The good news is that he's the healthiest he's been in a while, and new Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is working hard to help him get back on track.
Coen has been working one-on-one with the former Clemson Tiger to hone his mechanics. The past few months, he's been upfront as he can be with his quarterback and has given him that push he's needed. On top of that, the front office finally put together what's arguably been Lawrence's best supporting cast of his career.
When you add all up, Trevor Lawrence is a position to succeed and help the Jacksonville Jaguars bounce back from a disappointing 2024.