Second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence will have his work cut out for him this season as the Jacksonville Jaguars look to prove they’re a competitive threat in the AFC South. With a new coaching staff in place and a boat-load of talent to help him win games, Lawrence’s outlook for 2022 is significantly better than it was a year ago.
The Jaguars’ first-year head coach Doug Pederson seems to be taken with the young quarterback, and told the media on Monday about what he has seen from Lawrence through training camp and the preseason. When asked about the qualities that have made the signal-caller stand out, Pederson left no doubt as to where Lawrence’s strengths lie.
“I think what has impressed me the most is just the maturity level with him,” Pederson said. “How he’s survived a year as a rookie with everything surrounding him that took place and how he was able to handle that. I think now, stability around him with the team, with the coaching staff, but you see the maturity, you see the leadership in the locker room, you see what he’s been able to do even with the new additions to the offense and even to the team. That, to me, is kind of the one thing that stood out to me. You see the athleticism, you see the arm strength on tape, but when you get to know him and the kind of person he is. That part of it, his leadership, I think caught all our attention.”
The comments made on Monday are a good indication that Pederson is comfortable with the most important piece of the rebuild he has undertaken. Without a franchise quarterback, the Jaguars would be hamstrung in their effort to improve on their wasted 2020 and 2021 campaigns.
It’ll take a team effort to get the Jaguars back to a winning record this year, but with Lawrence’s steady hand in direction of the offense, Jacksonville’s future is bright for the first time in what feels like forever.