In his sophomore season, Trevor Lawrence brought the 9-8 Jacksonville Jaguars to the NFL Playoffs for the first time in five years. Following his 3-14 rookie season, the former Clemson Tigers quarterback demonstrated his ability to lead this team to the postseason.
Still, they've struggled to return since then, including last season's dismal 4-13 record. Some of that is due to injuries and things Lawrence couldn't control. As the 2025 NFL season approaches, there is hope that Lawrence can stay healthy and the team can regain that previous success.
He'll have familiar teammates back, Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington. Joining the receivers are free-agent addition Dyami Brown and a talented new rookie receiver in Travis Hunter, who is also expected to contribute as a cornerback, further enhancing the team's capabilities.
While the No. 2 pick, Hunter, has high expectations, the former No. 1 pick Lawrence will have the most on his shoulders in his fifth season. The team is contending with the likes of the Houston Texans, who have looked particularly impressive behind their stellar quarterback, CJ Stroud, in just his first two seasons.
Trevor Lawrence
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16)
© Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Lawrence seems enthusiastic about this upcoming Jaguars campaign, as he got a chance to throw for the first time in months during minicamp last month. He'll get additional throws in when he connects further with teammates at this month's training camp.
However, enthusiasm only goes so far, and numbers don't lie. When the regular season begins, it'll be time for Lawrence to prove he can help this team succeed again.
Former NFL player and now NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger spoke on Jacksonville SportsRadio about Lawrence's potential for the coming season. Moreover, he expressed what he believes Lawrence must accomplish in his fifth year for Jacksonville to be successful.
According to Baldinger, the Jaguars QB "needs to make a jump" as he hasn't won many games as the team's starter in the past several years.
"Injuries, instability, things around him. They're all true, but he was paid to be a franchise quarterback last year," Baldinger said.
According to ESPN, Lawrence signed a five-year, $275 million deal with $200 million guaranteed in June 2024. He also received a $37.5 million signing bonus for a deal starting in 2026, which would keep him under contract through 2030.
At the time of that deal, Lawrence’s $55 million average salary tied him with the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow at the top of the category. Burrow, the No. 1 pick in 2020 from LSU, has led the Bengals into the playoffs twice, including the team’s surge to Super Bowl LVI in 2022.
However, Baldinger contends that Lawrence should focus on replicating another quarterback's success this coming season.
“He’s got to step up. His overall completion percentage has got to improve. His playmaking ability has got to improve,” he said, adding, “But ultimately, he’s got to be able to attack these defenses and make plays the way the winner of this division has the last two years in CJ Stroud.”
In just two seasons, Stroud may have become a benchmark for evaluating the impact of new quarterbacks on teams. In both seasons, he helped lead Houston to the AFC Divisional Round. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year has thrown for over 7,800 yards and 43 touchdowns with a 93.7 percent completion rate so far.
There have been those who called Stroud's rookie campaign much more impressive than last season. Still, he's kept his team within playoff contention.
Apart from missing two games in his rookie season due to a concussion, Stroud has also generally remained injury-free, which has contributed to his team's success. Lawrence will need to do the same for the Jaguars.
After participating in nearly all of his team's games in his first three seasons, Lawrence was on the field for just 10 last season. In 2024, Lawrence completed 60.6 percent of his passes and had an 85.2 percent passer rating.
With 2025, there's renewed optimism that the Jaguars' franchise quarterback can remain healthy and bring his team back to the postseason.