One of the biggest storylines surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars is Trevor Lawrence's health. If they want to make a playoff push, they'll need him to be at full strength. Precisely for that reason, it was a bit puzzling to spot him wearing a sleeve during the offseason program. The fifth-year quarterback says it's nothing to worry about and will have a prime opportunity to show as much when the Jags participate in joint practices with the Miami Dolphins.
The NFL announced the dates and locations of joint practices for 2025. Jacksonville will join the Phins at Miami Gardens, Florida. It will take place before their matchup in the preseason finale on August 23.
This isn't necessarily news, as head coach Liam Coen had already said it was going to happen. The Jags had joint practices with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024 and the Detroit Lions the year prior.
Joint practices give teams the chance to test themselves against competition. In this case, it will also provide a glimpse of how far Lawrence is in his recovery. The former Clemson Tiger underwent surgery late in 2024 and is currently recovering. He showed progress in the offseason program, and his performance against Miami will give the Jaguars a clear idea of how healthy he is.
Lawrence struggled as a rookie but showed notable improvement the following year and even joined the top-10 quarterback discussion after helping Jacksonville stun the Los Angeles Chargers in the divisional round of the playoffs. Expected to solidify his place as one of the best signal-callers in the NFL in 2023, No. 16 was instead held back by injuries and an underwhelming supporting cast. Shockingly, things only got worse last year.
Injuries across the roster exposed the team's lack of depth. Couple that with Doug Pederson's questionable coaching, and Lawrence was set to fail. Granted, he himself played poorly at times, with his mechanics and decision-making showing a decline.
After the 2024 season, the Jaguars cleaned house, brought in a new coaching staff, and built the roster around Trevor Lawrence. He'll now need to prove that he can stay healthy, something that he's failed to do.
The Jaguars are helping Trevor Lawrence but he needs to stay healthy in 2025
Trevor Lawrence got a pass as a rookie because of the Urban Meyer debacle. He responded with a productive season in 2022. With Liam Coen at the helm, he'll need to prove that he regressed last year because of Doug Pederson's superb coaching.
Liam Coen turned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into a well-oiled offensive machine. Along the way, he helped Baker Mayfield post career numbers. He's expected to have a similar impact with Lawrence, who's shown he can perform at a high level but hasn't been consistent. enough.
Ultimately, Trevor Lawrence will need to stay healthy and avoid the injury bug, something he's failed to do the past two years, if he wants to take advantage of all the help he's getting. If he does, maybe the Jaguars will be much better than everyone expects.
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