One of the many reasons the Jacksonville Jaguars moved on from Doug Pederson after the end of the 2024 season, aside from missing the playoffs in consecutive years, was that he wasn't able to get the most out of Trevor Lawrence. To replace him, they hired Liam Coen after an extensive search. And while the Jags' new head coach has yet to work with Lawrence, he's excited with what he's seen so far.
Coen talked to the media at the 2025 NFL owner's meeting and didn't hold back when praising Lawrence, pointing out that he hasn't put in any on-field work with the quarterback yet but has come out impressed with his demeanor.
"We've me really good conversations, not being able to work with him quite yet, but we had to dinner a few times, and I saw the vision, talk to a guy that I know, right off the bat, is physically and mentally tough," Coen said when asked how he's built with Lawrence at this stage of the offseason. "Like I believe that about him. So that's how I'm excited to work with him about it."
Coen continued, "He's open. He just wants to play at the highest level as he can. He wants to accept as much coaching, he wants to be coached hard, and he wants to do well. So those are the great conversations that he's open. He wants to work, and he's been willing to work, really excited about those going forward."
The Collective Bargaining Agreement prohibits teams from having contact with players at different stages in the offseason. That's why Coen has yet to coach Lawrence or any of his teammates. That will change on April 7, when head coaches who were hired after the 2024 season can begin their offseason program.
The Jaguars were 2-10 before Lawrence suffered a labrum injury last year. They ultimately went 4-13, which led to Pederson's dismissal. Coen will be tasked with getting the most out of No. 16 and an offense that was among the worst in the league. The good news is that Coen did enough with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024 to make you think that he can pull it off.
During his lone season as the Buccanners offensive coordinator, Coen took the Tampa Bay running game from the worst in the league to one of the best five. On top of that, he helped quarterback Baker Mayfield have a career season. Below is his full exchange with the press corps. His remarks about Lawrence start at the 17:19 mark.
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Liam Coen should get the most out of Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence
You can debate whether Trevor Lawrence has lived up to his draft billing, but you cannot question his toughness. After all, he's shown the willingness to play through injuries the past two years and will only miss games unless he really has to. That kind of mindset will help him thrive under Liam Coen.
Of course, he'll need to stay healthy, something he's struggled to do. Working in his favor is that the Jaguars patched up the offensive line in the offseason. While the former Clemson Tiger could play much better, he hasn't enjoyed optimal protection the past two seasons. In fact, you could argue that having inadequate blocking up front is one of the reasons he's gotten hurt so often.
When you factor in the additions in the offensive trenches and Liam Coen's arrival, Trevor Lawrence is in a position to bounce back in 2025.
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