One somewhat overlooked storyline surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason is Trevor Lawrence's recovery from shoulder surgery. He says he'll be at full strength in the fall, but he'll also need to get reps throughout the summer in order to be ready for the regular season. Based on a recent clip, No. 16 is making strides.
Jaguars are holding organized team activities. This is the first time veterans get to practice with rookies, so everyone got a glimpse of Lawrence working with his receivers. Here's a clip of him connecting with free-agent acquisition Dyami Brown, via Juston W. Lewis of The Florida Times-Union.
Here's another one of Lawrence, via Lewis. This time, though, he's connecting with two-way star Travis Hunter.
As you can see, Lawrence threw the pass slightly ahead. In fact, he was eventually picked off by safety Darnell Savage because he overthrew Hunter in 11-on-11 drills.
Of course, Lawrence will have plenty of time to clean up his timing. Similarly, he'll be able to throw more in each practice as time passes. He's currently on a pitch count, and the last thing the Jaguars will want is to rush his recovery. Nevertheless, the fact that the former Clemson Tiger is already throwing is a positive sign.
Lawrence originally hurt his shoulder in the Week 9 game against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024. He missed a couple games and tried to come back. However, the Jaguars chose to shut him down for the season — the right call — so he could undergo surgery.
Trevor Lawrence must stay healthy if the Jaguars want to have a shot
The best ability is availability. It doesn't matter if you're the most talented player ever if you cannot stay healthy. In Trevor Lawrence's case, he's dealt with a myriad of injuries the past two years that have hindered his development and have had a negative effect on the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Sure, you could make the case that Lawrence has been playing behind a porous offensive line, and you might have a point. That said, he's far from the only quarterback who has had less-than-ideal protection. Heck, Mac Jones played behind the same line in 2024 and didn't suffer as many injuries.
As John Shipley of Jaguars of Sports Illustrated recently pointed out, Lawrence must stay healthy if he wants to meet expectations next season. He'll also need to work on his footwork and decision-making, but that's beside the point. You could make the case that Jacksonville is in the midst of a rebuild, but the front office has made upgrades to the offensive line and the wide receiver corps, so he really has no excuse.
The bottom line is that the how far the Jacksonville Jaguars go in 2025 will depend heavily on Trevor Lawrence. Fortunately, he's taking steps in the right direction.
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