The Jacksonville Jaguars have started out the season relatively strong, with a 3-1 record that's placed them tied for first in the AFC South. The defense has been on fire, Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten have both been impressive, and overally, the Jaguars are slowly but surely turning themselves into a respectable team.
That doesn't mean all has gone well, of course. There are two players still notably underperforming, and that will need to change - fast - if the Jaguars will be successful this season. And they're both players who aren't short on talent - so what's the problem?
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence and wide receiver Brian Thomas, Jr. were both expected to see a resurgence in their play this season, but instead, it's been mediocre, if not outright awful. Jacksonville has been able to succeed so far, largely thanks to the defense, but both will need to get it together if the Jaguars truly want to become a playoff-worthy team.
Lawrence and Thomas are still struggling in 2025
Trevor Lawrence was expected to do much better this year under Liam Coen, and it's all but a requirement if he wants to remain in Jacksonville. 2025 was set to be a make-or-break season for him, and it's safe to say, the expectations are high. Some of his issues during his tenure in Jacksonville are not entirely his fault; he's been bounced around between numerous coaches and offensive schemes, often without reliable receivers to work with, so it's not altogether surprising that he hasn't always performed to his full potential.
But this year, that was supposed to change. He has a strong receiving corps, a great offensive line, and an offensive genius in Coen. So why have we not seen him take off the way he was expected to?
To be fair, Lawrence hasn't been bad. He has been efficient and capable, which is... fine, if that's all he had the potential to be. His performance has been slowly improving each week, particularly on quick-game concepts, but he needs to be more explosive in the air. His average air yards have dropped from 2024, despite arguably having better tools around him.
Is it possible that there are chemistry issues? The Jaguars have had problems this season with dropped passes, which leads us to Struggling Jaguar #2: Brian Thomas, Jr.
Truly a concerted effort to get Brian Thomas Jr catches any time it presents itself.
— Mia O'Brien (@MiaOBrienTV) September 26, 2025
In another world (or training camp), WRs may be working elsewhere at this point, QBs throwing to assistant coaches.
Not this week. Every “throw” (even a walk through) requires a WR catch… pic.twitter.com/rP0r1Fi4nV
Thomas had an incredible rookie season last year, one that even earned him a Pro Bowl nod, but now, it seems he's fallen victim to the sophomore slump. Some of it could be blamed on Lawrence, some of it on a wrist injury, but no matter how you slice it, Thomas hasn't been playing to his potential.
There is still hope that Thomas could finally break out, and that will hopefully happen. But his performance so far this season has largely been dismal and disappointing.
It takes time for a new offensive scheme to gel together, but it's a month into the season, and neither Lawrence nor Thomas have shown many flashes of the greatness expected of them. Time hasn't quite run out yet, but it's still ticking on week by week. Can these two get it together before it's too late?