Trevor Lawrence's start to his NFL career resembles Hall of Famer Troy Aikman's, but the two QBs could diverge significantly in two weeks.
In his first two seasons (1989-90) with the Cowboys, Aikman started 26 games and went 7-19. He went 381-for-692 (55.1 percent) for 4,328 yards with 20 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. The Cowboys failed to make the playoffs both years.
Lawrence has 31 starts over the past two seasons and is 9-22. In the passing-dominated era of the NFL, he has nearly as many completions as Aikman had pass attempts, going 689-of-1102 (62.5 percent) for 7,161 yards with 36 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
Comparisons between the QBs cropped up in 2021, when Lawrence joined Aikman and Peyton Manning as the only rookie QBs to throw multiple interceptions in their first three career starts.
During the offseason, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer recalled a conversation during the 2021 season with an NFL head coach. Breer wrote that the coach said Lawrence's poise in the face of horrible circumstances -- the man played for unqualified head coach Urban Meyer as a rookie -- reminded him of what Aikman had experienced during his rookie season.
In his first season in Dallas, Aikman endured a 1-15 season. In 2021, Lawrence's Jaguars finished 3-14.
Aikman praised Lawrence before the 2021 NFL Draft, when the former Clemson star became the No. 1 overall pick.
Been studying Trevor Lawrence on tape for past few days - accurate (always my top priority), size, athletic, arm strength, throws intermediate pass w touch/velocity, good short-space quickness & compact release (neither usually the case for a 6’6 QB); 1/2
— Troy Aikman (@TroyAikman) February 12, 2021
That is another bond the two share. Aikman was drafted first overall by Dallas out of UCLA in the 1989 NFL Draft.
Now the QB with the long, blond hair is starring as the leading man in Jacksonville's underdog story. Tennessee (7-7) has lost four in a row, opening the door for the Jaguars (6-8) to claim the division.
If Lawrence takes the Jaguars to the postseason, he'll do something Aikman didn't accomplish until his fourth season with the Cowboys.
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