NFL coaches, execs voiced serious concerns about Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence before 2025 season

First-year head coach Liam Coen and quarterback Trevor Lawrence have guided the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 4-1 record coming off the club's thrilling 31-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night. 

ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler noted on Wednesday that some questioned last fall whether Lawrence would ever become a franchise quarterback for Jacksonville. 

NFL evaluators doubted Trevor Lawrence's love of football

"As Lawrence struggled last season, I had more than a few executives/coaches ask the question as they assessed his play: Does he love the game? They wondered aloud whether the talented passer ever put in the necessary work to go from decent to great at the next level," Fowler said. "And the numbers sort of bore that out. He showed flashes but was largely unspectacular through his first four NFL seasons." 

Lawrence signed a five-year contract extension worth up to $275M in June 2024, but then left much to be desired last season before he was shut down in early December due to shoulder surgery. Some even blamed Lawrence for the fact that the Jaguars went 5-18 over their last 23 games under previous head coach Doug Pederson. 

While the Jaguars won four of their first five contests with Coen in charge, the numbers show that Lawrence didn't play at an elite level over those outings. According to Pro Football Reference, Lawrence will enter Week 6 ranked 22nd in the league among qualified players with a 48.8 adjusted QBR and 29th with a 78.2 passer rating. He tossed six touchdown passes and five interceptions over the campaign's first five games. 

That said, Coen and Co. seem pleased with what they've thus far seen from Lawrence. 

What Jaguars "love" about this version of Trevor Lawrence

"The Jaguars love that he's playing with juice and flare," Fowler added about Lawrence. "Lawrence has bought into Coen's process, organizing extra work with receivers after practice and emphasizing additional film work. He is taking on Coen's personality a bit. Also, the Jaguars have encouraged him to use his legs more often for easy yardage when presented by the defense." 

Lawrence rushed for 86 yards on 25 attempts over the season's first five games. One of those carries resulted in the 26-year-old creating one of the league's top highlight-reel plays of the campaign.