Forget for the moment about Trevor Lawrence’s footwork.
The real issue for the Jacksonville Jaguars $275-million quarterback has been the stability of the foundation on which his feet are scrambling.
Lawrence, the NFL’s No. 1 overall draft pick in 2021, is beginning the 2025 season with his third head coach in five years. That man is Liam Coen, the quarterback whisperer and offensive wizard who turned the 2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers into a balanced, touchdown-producing machine.
Coen’s first priority, as Brent Martineau of The Brent and Austen Show podcast noted Monday morning, is to fix whatever’s wrong with Jacksonville’s quarterback. But ... is it really the footwork? Martineau was skeptical.
“Are you really going to fix something that you’ve been doing since you were six years old?” said Martineau. “I don’t know how simple this is, in terms of fixing, but if he’s thinking about (footwork), he’s not gonna play fast. That concerns me.”
Martineau noted that Jaguars fans don’t want more excuses in 2025. They want touchdowns and actual wins on the field, despite the many obstacles Lawrence has had to overcome in his early career.
“Patrick Mahomes (the Kansas City Chiefs superstar quarterback) hasn’t had to deal with any of the stuff that (Lawrence) has had to deal with in that way,” Martineau said. “None of it. From the negativity, to the Urban Meyer, to the different offenses, he hasn’t had to deal with any of it.”
Lawrence began his NFL career under Meyer, who the Jaguars fired late the 2021 season after a 2-11 start. Martineau noted that Lawrence started out better under his second head coach, but …
“By the time he got used to the (Doug Pederson) offense, it looked like it had gone stale,” Martineau said.
Martineau’s podcast partner Austen Lane said that top draft pick Travis Hunter, and the new head coach, will get some slack as it will be their first year in Jacksonville. Right or wrong, Lawrence will be expected to produce.
“For Trevor Lawrence, I understand it’s another new offense and another new head coach, but … he has to play well right away, in my opinion,” said Lane.
Lane said that Lawrence has got to be better than his 2025 ESPN fantasy draft projection: 22 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
“Those numbers are not good,” Lane said. “That can’t be the case. I don’t care what the other stats say.”
Jacksonville won’t have the toughest schedule in the NFL this year, but it’s far from the weakest. If the Jaguars are still in contention for a playoff spot after, say, 11 games, their schedule becomes more favorable.
The Jaguars play the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans twice each, as well as the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals, in their final seven games. So a strong start is crucial.
“Trevor Lawrence is the guy that has to be good right away,” said Lane. “You can’t have, in my opinion, any slow start, any of that, whoever it’s on. For Lawrence, it’s time to go.”
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