Under head coach Liam Coen, the Jacksonville Jaguars have quietly turned into a gritty team. They no longer allow themselves to get bullied, and their physicality was on full display during their joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when a brief scuffle erupted.
Now, brawls aren't uncommon in joint practices, as tempers flare. Heck, Jacksonville just had one with the New Orleans Saints. What stood out is that the last player the Jags imagined was at the center of the one that took place with the Bucs. Based on the headline, you had probably imagined that it was Trevor Lawrence. If you did, you were absolutely right.
Rachel Phillips of First Coast News reported that a skirmish broke out, and Lawrence grabbed a Buccaneers player by the shoulder. The player was later revealed to be Alex Anzalone. Regardless of who was on the opposite side of the scuffle, No. 16 just proved that he'll throw hands for his teammates, just like any good leader would.
Trevor Lawrence showed up for his teammates in the Jaguars scuffle
Liam Coen met with the local media in the aftermath of the Buccaneers joint practice. He clarified that Trevor Lawrence didn't begin the scuffle but rather that he was just trying to separate Alex Anzalone from other Jaguars players.
"Nah, he wasn't trying to take him down. I watched the whole thing," Coen told reporters (5:40 mark). "He was just trying to break up a scuffle. He wasn't trying to fight Alex by any means. I think he was, what is the word I'm looking for? Yeah, well, just the hair-on-hair fight, work was going at it. I didn't have a better word for it, but no, he was just trying to, you know, protect Alex and the guys."
Even if Lawrence wasn't the one who began the brawl, it was certainly impressive to see him take care of things. On a related note, Coen was pleased with his performance in the joint practice, pointing out that he's been urging No. 16 to use his legs when his reads aren't there.
You may also like: 5 winners and losers from the Buccaneers joint practice
The Jaguars have a tough leader in Trevor Lawrence
Dating back to his rookie season, Trevor Lawrence has been named team captain five seasons in a row — he should make it six in 2026. Some of it was due to the fact that he's the Jaguars' most prominent player, but it's also worth noting that players pick the captains, and it's clear that all his teammates believe he deserves the nod. He proved them right in the joint practice.
Of course, Lawrence is a captain for other reasons. The Jaguars expect big things from next season after a strong finish to 2025. And based on all the progress he's made in the offseason, he'll come through.
And if a brawl erupts when the Jaguars play in the regular season, you can bet Trevor Lawrence will stand up for his teammates.
Add us as a preferred source on Google