Former OC suggests Trevor Lawrence's predraft comments foreshadowed his struggles

After the loss, a former NFL offensive coordinator emailed Pro Football Talk. The OC indicated that Lawrence's remarks before he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2021 foreshadowed his struggles.

"[Lawrence] does not play the game with a passion... when first drafted by the Jags, he did mention that football was not a priority in his life, and despite that generous and undeserved second contract, he definitely plays like football is not a priority," the OC wrote, per PFT's Mike Florio. "[H]is play does not parallel his skill set, don't see the leadership, the excitement, and going through the motions and taking the weekly checks are disservices to his teammates, the organization and fans."

Before the 2021 NFL Draft, Lawrence told Sports Illustrated's Michael Rosenberg he doesn't need football "for [his] life to be OK," and he doesn't have a "huge chip on my shoulder." He later clarified his comments on his X account, writing the game is a "huge priority in my life."

In 2021, ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. rated Lawrence as the fourth-best QB prospect he had ever graded, behind Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and John Elway. Through four seasons with Jacksonville, he has yet to meet lofty expectations. 

He has made one Pro Bowl and won one playoff game but has a 20-33 starting record in the regular season. 

Claiming Lawrence doesn't love football, and that's the reason he's floundering, seems somewhat unfair. 

In his rookie season, head coach Urban Meyer was fired after he went 2-11 in 13 games and had several incidents that embarrassed the team. In 2021, Bleacher Report's Chris Roling listed Meyer as the worst head-coaching hire of the 2000s.

The Jaguars don't seem like an ideal landing spot for a young QB, either. They've only made two playoff appearances since 2010.

Still, signing Lawrence to a five-year, $275M extension this offseason has looked like an overpay for Jacksonville. Through three starts this season, he has completed a career-low 52% of his passes for 560 yards, two touchdowns and one pick.

Lawrence must dig deep and find his competitive fire to possibly salvage his career with the Jaguars. In his postgame news conference, Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson didn't rule out benching Lawrence in favor of Mac Jones.