It's not hyperbole to state that the Jacksonville Jaguars will need Trevor Lawrence to deliver in 2025 if they have to have a legitimate chance to bounce back from a pair of underwhelming seasons. Working in his favor is that the team's brass has put together a pretty good team around him. That's led an NFL analyst to argue that it's his turn to fulfill his end of the bargain.
Bucky Brooks of NFL Media believes it's time for Lawrence to lead the Jags back into the postseason, pointing out that they made plenty of moves in the offseason to put him in a position to succeed.
"This offseason, the Jaguars have spared no expense to ensure Lawrence maximizes his potential and joins the ranks of the elites," Brooks wrote. "And the blueprint they've followed aligns with the 'Three Ps' theory we've proposed on the Move the Sticks podcast, which suggests teams need elite play-callers, playmakers, and pass-protectors to help a young quarterback succeed early in their career."
Late in his stint with the Jaguars, Doug Pederson seemingly became uninterested in Lawrence's development and delegated the task to right-hand man Press Taylor. To make matters worse, his playcalling left much to be desired and was one of the reasons Jacksonville struggled to put points on the scoreboard in 2024. To nobody's surprise, Pederson got the boot in the offseason and the team's brass hired Liam Coen to replace him.
Coen will be a breath of fresh air. During his lone season as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he turned their offense into a powerhouse and helped Baker Mayfield post career numbers. He's expected to have a similar impact for Lawrence. But aside from bringing in a head coach who'll be invested in his development, the Jaguars also made upgrades to this supporting cast.
The team's brass beefed up the offensive line in the offseason and added Dyami Brown and Travis Hunter to a wide receiver corps that already had Brian Thomas Jr. Lawrence will no longer have a shortage of weapons, which leads Brooks to conclude that it's time for the former Clemson Tiger to show out:
"Taken together, these offseason maneuvers helped put the Jaguars in the best position to maximize their investment in Lawrence -- and will help make it possible to finally assess Lawrence's potential as QB1."
The Jaguars need Trevor Lawrence to put it all together in 2025
Now, Bucky Brooks isn't suggesting that Trevor Lawrence is entering a make-or-break year but rather that the Jacksonville Jaguars will finally get a chance to see what he can do. This wasn't possible in past years because the previous regime didn't always put him in a position to succeed. Whether it was hiring Urban Meyer as the head coach or surrounding him with an underwhelming team, the Jags didn't help No. 16. That's no longer the case.
Lawrence has certainly proved that he can play at a high level but hasn't done it recently. Injuries have certainly played a role in that, which is why he'll need to prove he can stay healthy. Granted, there's some element of randomness in injuries. However, availability is the best ability, and if you can't suit up for Sunday, it doesn't matter if you're the most talented player ever.
In Trevor Lawrence's case, he must prove that he can take advantage of the upgrades the Jaguars made to his supporting cast and help them compete for a playoff spot next year. If he fails to deliver, questions about his future in Jacksonville won't stop anytime soon.
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