Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence makes big admission about inconsistent start to NFL career

It's not a stretch to say that Trevor Lawrence hasn't yet become the elite quarterback many thought the Jacksonville Jaguars would have at this stage of his career back when Jacksonville made him the first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. 

On Monday, Lawrence spoke with reporters about working with first-year Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen and also about the struggles he's endured throughout his young career. 

"I really like the people we have here now," Lawrence said, as shared by John Oehser of the Jaguars' website. "I love the system. I love the staff, the players that we brought in, along with the guys that were already here. I feel very confident in where we're going and the trajectory we're heading. You can't change the past. I would love to have had a little more success up until this point, but this is where we're at, and I love where we're at. I have a lot of confidence in it, and we just have to keep putting the work in out here every day to prepare ourselves for the fall."

Coen is the third full-time head coach Lawrence has had with the Jaguars. Back in January, former NFL running back and two-time Super Bowl champion LeSean McCoy suggested that Lawrence was at least somewhat to blame for the fact that Jacksonville went 5-18 over its final 23 games under former head coach Doug Pederson, who was fired following the 2024 campaign. Lawrence then briefly became the subject of trade rumors in February that were quickly debunked by Coen and others within the Jaguars. 

Lawrence signed a five-year contract extension worth up to $275M last offseason, but he left much to be desired with his play this past fall before he was shut down in early December so he could have shoulder surgery. According to Pro Football Reference, he finished the 2024 regular season ranked 28th in the NFL among qualified players with an 85.2 passer rating and 35th with a 60.6 percent completion percentage. In fewer than 10 full games, he tossed 11 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. 

It seems ahead of training camp that rookie cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter will serve as a needed in-game weapon for Lawrence this fall. Additionally, Lawrence seems confident that he can make a big leap while playing in Coen's offense.

"It has a lot of answers," Lawrence said about his latest offensive system, per ESPN's Michael DiRocco. "It's great. I mean, it puts a lot on the players. You have to know your stuff, but it gives you all the answers. You don't feel like you're stuck in a play that's not set up for success. It gives us a lot of answers, and we change the presentation a lot, make a lot of things look the same. [There are] a lot of things that I like about it, and it's definitely unlike any system that I've learned before."

Coen earned the Jacksonville job after he served as offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and helped Baker Mayfield enjoy a career-best regular season. One wonders if questions about Lawrence's future in Jacksonville could resurface next offseason if he fails to follow in Mayfield's footsteps while playing under Coen later this year.