Jacksonville Jaguars GM James Gladstone
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Jacksonville Jaguars GM James Gladstone
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a new regime in town and it’s clear that they want to do things differently (probably a good idea) and put their own fingerprints on the roster and coaching staff. New general manager James Gladstone brought in head coach Liam Coen from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they made a bold move in the 2025 NFL Draft to go up and get Travis Hunter and they’ve been pretty clear that they aren’t overly enthralled with former first-round running back Travis Etienne, who could be getting squeezed out.
What’s the other major variable that will draw scrutiny? The Quarterback. Trevor Lawrence.
Mike Florio and Chris Simms discussed Lawrence and his role on the Jaguars on a recent episode of the “Pro Football Talk: NFL on NBC” podcast.
“The one thing we don’t know is whether or not Liam Coen is truly a Trevor Lawrence guy,” said Florio. “There’s a reason why the Jaguars job was open. And it’s not because Trevor Lawrence is playing like Aaron Rodgers.”
The duo did acknowledge that the Jags’ offensive line “stunk last year” and that “they couldn’t run the ball at all,” while also noting that the defense was “pitiful.”
Simms said that Lawrence certainly isn’t bad, “but at the same time, yeah, they need to get him fixed.” He said Lawrence last year “was not good. It was missed throws.”
Simms continued, “there’s way too many plays and times and games where you just go, man, you’re too good to miss that throw or to make that play right there, right then. And there was just too many moments last year that were a hair concerning for as awesome as he can be.”
Jaguars are heavily invested in Lawrence
Gladstone and Coen haven’t come out and said they don’t want Lawrence as their quarterback. Of course, they’d never do that, especially because Lawrence was drafted No. 1 overall in 2021 to be the face of the franchise. He was a can’t-miss prospect out of Clemson University, a generational talent.
Add to that, the Jaguars signed him to a mega contract extension of five-years, $275 million that begins in 2026. And there’s $200 million of “guaranteed” money in there? Yes, the Jaguars are going to give him every opportunity to succeed.
And not for nothing, they really don’t have any other options at this point. How much of a leash does he really have? Well, that remains to be seen. If Lawrence continues to fail to meet the lofty expectations, the team could look to move on sooner rather than later, but it won’t be in 2025. In 2024, Lawrence started 10 games for the Jags, going 2-8. If that trend continues, they could start looking for a Plan B.
New boss in town will want his guy at quarterback
Every general manager and head coach is tied to a franchise – or lack thereof – quarterback. Teams would like to have a G.M., head coach and starting quarterback in lock step. Just look at the Chicago Bears and their rotation at those three positions over the last 15 years or so and see how far it got them. Too many moving parts can be an organizational nightmare.
The question that the Jaguars need to answer is whether or not Lawrence can be the guy for the Gladstone/Coen pairing.
In his four years as the starting quarterback, Lawrence has thrown for 13,815 yards, 69 touchdowns and 46 interceptions. During that time, he’s completed 63.3% of his passes and the team went 22-38. As Florio and Simms noted, it’s not all his fault; the Jags have had many other flaws during that time.
With moves like drafting Hunter and a commitment to fixing the running game, the new regime is trying to eliminate any excuses for Lawrence to see what he really is and/or what he can become. If it doesn’t work out, Lawrence might not be the only guy looking for a new job.