Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to pass during the first quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence Earn a Bizarre Ranking

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated Jan 31, 2026 8:00 AM ET

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Trevor Lawrence exorcised a lot of demons in 2025, but there are still some non-believers they have to convince.

Perhaps non-believers is too strong a phrase at this time, considering what the Jacksonville Jaguars' franchise quarterback did in his fifth season. But it is clear that Lawrence is still likely one more strong year away from washing himself of the perception many had of him.

Lawrence's Ranking

In a recent ranking from Pro Football Focus of every team's quarterback situation entering the 2026 offseason, the Jaguars and Lawrence landed in a bit of a baffling spot: No. 17, which is really No. 16 considering the order the rankings are done.

Lawrence is split into the category of "Excited for the Future", one spot ahead of the Washington Commanders and Jayden Daniels and just below the likes of the Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams, the Denver Broncos and Bo Nix, and the New England Patriots and Drake Maye.

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"It’s been a roller coaster of a career for Trevor Lawrence, marked by multiple head coaching changes. But with Liam Coen now at the helm, he finally appears to have a stable situation to grow into," PFF said.

"At just 26 years old, Lawrence is coming off the best season of his career, earning PFF grades of 84.3 overall and 80.5 as a passer. He still needs to clean up the turnover-worthy plays — surpassing 23 in each of his full seasons — but his big arm and athleticism, paired with a top-tier play-caller following a 13-win season, should have Jaguars fans optimistic about what comes next."

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Still ... No. 16? I find it hard to believe the Broncos wouldn't trade Nix for Lawrence in a heartbeat. I find it harder to believe teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions wouldn't say the same about Jalen Hurts and Jared Goff. Those two have maybe had long spans of perceived success, but it is clear which teams are better off moving forward at quarterback as things stand today.

Then there is the fact that it is almost as if Lawrence is still treated like a quarterback who was just drafted. He was placed in the same tier as three second-year quarterbacks, with Lawrence having more years of experience over each of them.

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Just because Lawrence's success has came in spurts doesn't mean he isn't anything other than a tested veteran at quarterback. Lawrence has arrived, and chances are he isn't going anywhere.

This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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