After finishing 4-13 last year, expectations are tempered for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025.
Trevor Lawrence has looked anything but the generational talent we all expected heading into the 2021 draft, while many are questioning the team’s bold move to give away so many potential prospects for Travis Hunter. The Jaguars were 25th in offense last season, averaging 306.2 yards per game while allowing the second-most yards per game on defense (389.9).
There might not be a lot of belief that the Jags can turn it around in 2025 with so many new faces, plus a rookie head coach and general manager. That said, there are some compelling reasons why they might surprise everyone and make the playoffs next season.
Trevor Lawrence has plenty of help
Trevor Lawrence
Jacksonville Jaguars Mandatory Minicamp | Logan Bowles/GettyImages
We may have to accept the fact that Trevor Lawrence isn’t a generational talent, but he’s got everything he needs to be successful next season. He’ll be well-rested and have more weapons than ever on offense. Travis Etienne, like Lawrence, has had plenty of time to recover from an injury as well. The Clemson running back missed the 2021 season and bounced back to run for 1,125 yards in 2022, his best statistical campaign in the NFL, helping the Jags make the playoffs.
Brian Thomas Jr. is a legit big-play receiver, and he’ll have help at that spot in 2025 with Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and an under-the-radar performer in Parker Washington, who’s been rather dependable when called upon.
Year 1 of Brian Thomas Jr. was a movie 🎥@BrianThomas_11 | @Jaguars pic.twitter.com/nN00w5K4en
— NFL (@NFL) June 12, 2025
There’s a legitimate two-headed monster out of the backfield in Etienne and Tank Bigsby, while there are other youngsters at that position with potential upside.
Perhaps the most important thing Lawrence will have in 2025 is better pass protection. Chuma Edoga, former Super Bowl champion Fred Johnson, and Patrick Mekari, who blocked for Lamar Jackson last season, are three of the new faces up front. Jackson only took 23 sacks for the Ravens in 2024.
Lawrence may not be as great on the run as we thought, but he’s got more depth offensively than he’s ever had before. When he has time in the pocket, meanwhile, he’s shown he can be elite, making the Pro Bowl in 2022 and tossing just eight picks.
Trevor Lawrence the last 4 Weeks:
87/121 (71.9%)
1106 YDS (277 YPG)
7 TDs, 3 INT
109.0 NFL
pic.twitter.com/Wjt1F9w7mB
— Daniel Griffis (@DanDGriffis) October 27, 2024
It’s a fresh start
Liam Coen, James Gladstone
Jaguars Pre-Draft Media Availability | Logan Bowles/GettyImages
While the likes of Lawrence and Etienne are in their prime years, the 2025 edition of the Jaguars feels like a clean slate. That could go one of two ways, but having the usual suspects in the front office, sidelines, and on the field wasn’t working before, so why not take a chance?
There are plenty of new faces and guys who didn’t experience the lean years in Jacksonville over the past couple of seasons. Perhaps that’s a good thing, as there seemed to be numerous players far too comfortable and uninterested to elevate their game, knowing they might still be around.
Players don’t play to lose, but when you’re in a losing culture with the same faces it can be like a job you’ve had for years, you get comfortable and might slack off once in a while. In 2025, there should be plenty of guys keen to prove they can get the job done from Hunter to James Gladstone, Liam Coen, and more.
The Genius of Liam Coen offense 🎥
This is from 3 straight weeks.
•Knowing the defense have scouted this TE cheat motion.
•Makes it look identical, but runs 3 totally different unique plays to confuse the defense.
•3 Touchdowns.
Jax has missed this type of creativity ‼️ pic.twitter.com/jI7aVge8pg
— N F L (@DTWD904) January 30, 2025
The other thing about young faces is they don’t know any better, and that easy breezy attitude might be what this team needs. There are expectations, but it’s also a clean slate with so many new faces, and that could be good for the old and the newcomers.
When you work for a company for a while and a new boss comes in, there are changes and you have to adapt and prove you’re an asset, that could be how Lawrence, Etienne and Thomas Jr, Josh Hines-Allen, and Travon Walker approach 2025. A big takeover is nerve-racking but might be just what they need.
The AFC South stinks
It’s not exactly an earth-shattering story for one to suggest the AFC South is weak compared to most other divisions in the NFL. In fact, that’s been common knowledge for quite some time, with perhaps the only division that can rival it in terms of dismal is its counterpart in the NFC.
The Texans, led by C.J. Stroud, are the team to beat in the AFC South. However, it’s not as if they’re miles ahead of the pack. Stroud has been recovering from a shoulder issue, which may not be super serious, but you never know with how tight-lipped people are about star player injuries. He’s a tremendous playmaker but was under duress for a large portion of last season, taking 52 sacks. I’m not so sure they’ve drastically improved on the offensive line.
5. CJ Stroud
The Houston Texans picked up some offensive linemen and they needed to. The Kansas City Chiefs sacked CJ Stroud 8 times in a game where he was surrounded by Chiefs like the pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock.
But the offensive linemen they picked up aren’t very… pic.twitter.com/1TIsXaIRKT
— Dead Serious (@Deadseriousness) April 8, 2025
At the same time, the Titans have a rookie QB who’s unproven in Cam Ward with few marquee offensive names, while the Anthony Richardson experiment in Indianapolis doesn’t seem to be working out.
Neither the Colts, Texans, or Titans have a team littered with stars that’ll strike fear into the opposition, they each have one or two great players. The AFC South is very much up for grabs, and all you need to make the playoffs is to win the division.
The Jaguars have a favourable schedule
Not only is the AFC South not nearly as competitive as the AFC West for instance, but the Jaguars also have a relatively generous regular season schedule. Of their 18 games on the docket, 11 are against non-playoff teams in 2024. The toughest will be an October 6 affair with the three-time AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs.
However, two are against the Texans, with another one against the Denver Broncos, two teams that made the postseason a year ago, but have their share of flaws. Sometimes the schedule makers deal you a favourable hand, and it feels as though that’s the case for Liam Coen in his first season as a head coach.
Half of their regular-season contests in 2025 will be against teams that finished below .500 a year ago (9/18). Meanwhile, six of their upcoming regular season opponents had six wins or fewer, just two more than the Jags had in 2024.
There are plenty of reasons this could be another rough year for the Jaguars, but just as many reasons it could go the opposite way. Bet MGM had Jacksonville’s playoff odds last month at +165.
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