Jaguars HC Doug Pederson sends warning to NFL about QB Trevor Lawrence

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson suggested that quarterback Trevor Lawrence is about to make life quite difficult for opposing NFL defenses this fall. 

"I’ll tell you what, he’s throwing the ball the best I’ve seen him in the year and a half I’ve been with Trevor," Pederson said during a SiriusXM NFL Radio appearance, as shared by Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "And just really, the sky is the limit with this guy. And if we just continue to improve and just really keep those pieces around him healthy, this offense could take off." 

ESPN stats show that Lawrence finished his second pro season, his first playing under Pederson, ranked 10th among eligible players with a 95.2 passer rating and 15th with a 54.5 adjusted QBR. The 23-year-old was also ninth with 4,113 passing yards and tied for eighth with 25 touchdowns through the air. 

More importantly for the 2022 Jaguars, Lawrence guided the club to a playoff berth and historic come-from-behind postseason victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. While speaking ahead of the weekend, Pederson noted that Lawrence is "mature above his years" thanks largely to working with quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy.

"McCoy has done a great job of just sort of — because Mike coached Peyton Manning, he coached Philip Rivers, he’s coached some Hall of Fame-type quarterbacks," Pederson explained. "So being able to pour that knowledge and understanding into Trevor, a young quarterback, has been valuable to Trevor." 

As of Friday afternoon, OddsChecker listed the Jaguars as the betting favorites to claim the AFC South title for the upcoming season at -155 odds. Additionally, Jacksonville was tied for seventh among betting favorites at +1400 to represent the conference in Super Bowl LVIII come February. 

Before his rookie campaign, many labeled Lawrence as the highest-rated prospect at the position since Andrew Luck entered the league. Assuming Pederson's assessments this summer are accurate, Lawrence may begin matching such high expectations beginning with Jacksonville's Week 1 game at the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 10.