The Jacksonville Jaguars had several bright spots to start the 2025 season. They lead the league in rushing yards, and the defense is generating turnovers at a high rate. On the other hand, the passing game isn't clicking just yet.
One of the reasons is that the Jags' wide receivers are leading the league in drop rate. Another is that Trevor Lawrence has left a bit to be desired. Then again, he hasn't been nearly as dreadful as some talking heads have suggested. Heck, just recently, Dan Orlovsky of ESPN and former NFL wide receiver Andrew Hawkins came up with a non-existent issue to bash Trevor Lawrence.
Trevor Lawrence isn't supposedly protecting Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter
Dan Orlovsky made an appearance on NFL Live and said that Trevor Lawrence and his receivers aren't on the same page, noting that he's not protecting them from being hit. Co-host Andrew Hawkins agrees, arguing that they don't trust their quarterback.
"You're so spot on. And for people that are saying he's scared to get hit, that might be true," Hawkins said. "As someone who's been hit in the NFL, it's like getting hit by a car. But I will give blame to everybody. Receivers have to catch the ball, but at the same time, same one, because what the receivers are doing here is they don't trust Trevor Lawrence to protect them from the throw."
Hawkins continued, "When that ball's in the air, my eye is on the defender, Travis Hunter, his eyes are on this linebacker that is screaming towards him before he looks back for this football because he doesn't trust that. Trevor Lawrence has protected him with the throw. Another one, Brian Thomas, the interception runs in breaking route into a defensive meeting when you throw that ball, yeah, you have to protect yourself, because you're thinking, Wow, I don't see a quarterback on that one."
All things considered, this is an odd argument to make. Receivers will get hit when trying to reel in a pass at times, especially in the middle of the field. That's the nature of a collision spot. And this is true for all teams, not just the Jaguars.
Just recently, the term hospital balls has made the rounds on social media because Lawrence is supposedly putting his receivers at risk, but all quarterbacks, not just him, will make throws that will leave their receivers exposed. Again, it's football.
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars passing game must get going
So far, Trevor Lawrence has completed 58.9 percent of his throws for 449 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. There's no doubt that he needs to make better decisions, but it's also worth noting that his completion rate to receivers not named Travis Hunter or Brian Thomas hovers around the 70 percent mark.
Meanwhile, Lawrence's rate when targeting either Hunter or Thomas dips to the 50 percent mark. This is a long-winded way to say that everyone must do a better job, not just No. 16.
There are many reasons Trevor Lawrence's connection with Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter isn't sharp. The first one is that the fifth-year quarterback missed plenty of time in 2024 and spent the early offseason recovering from the shoulder injury he sustained last year. His lack of playing time prevented him from building rapport with Thomas.
On the other hand, Thomas has been off this offseason. He has a wrist injury, but there's a chance he's not in a good space. Regardless of the reason, the coaching staff is working with the sophomore wideout to get him out of his funk.
Regarding Travis Hunter, as talented as he is, he's a rookie. One that's in the midst of the transition to the pros while playing two positions. Simply put, he's still learning the nuances of wide receiver and may need a bit of time to hit his stride.
The good news is that it's still early in the season, so the Jaguars' brass can get the passing game going. For that to happen, though, everyone must play better, including Trevor Lawrence.