It was a disappointing rookie season for quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He threw more interceptions (17) than touchdowns (12), and he struggled with decision-making and his completion percentage at times throughout the season.
But at the same time, there were clear signs that should inspire optimism from the Jags’ fan base, and if he wants to take a big jump in Year 2, there’s a clear model to follow.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was the first overall pick in 2020, the year before Lawrence, and he came back from an injury-shortened rookie year to have an incredible season that culminates in a Super Bowl appearance against the Los Angeles Rams.
Lawrence told NFL Total Access that he’s been impressed to see the jump Joe Burrow has taken in his second season.
“Obviously what Joe’s been able to do is really impressive, especially when you think about the injury last year too, it’s pretty cool to watch,” Lawrence said. “I’ve got a couple teammates on that team too so I’m excited for them. You can’t fix everything in one year, obviously with the Bengals it seems that way, but I know that was probably a few years in the making and some decisions that they made all kind of came together.”
“What Joe has been able to do is pretty impressive…For me it’s doing what I can do to be the best player I can be next season.”
⁰@Trevorlawrencee on Joe Burrow, and what he’s looking forward to working on next season. ⁰⁰@Jaguars | @NFLTotalAccess pic.twitter.com/VVuFeYfXgG— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 10, 2022
While it would be natural for Lawrence to feel some pressure to produce in 2022 after the trajectory Burrow has taken, he said that he’s focused on the things that are within his control.
“For me it’s just one, doing what I can do to be the best player I can be next season, not worrying about necessarily everything else that’s involved in it, he said. “I can’t control everything, but I can control the offseason I have, how prepared I am, how fast I get this new system down… It starts with taking ownership of what you can control and then from there being able to lead the team and take everybody with you.”
The Bengals were one of the worst teams in the league in the previous two seasons, and now they’re four quarters away from a world championship. Expecting such a leap for the Jags is certainly not reasonable, but if Lawrence can see a big improvement in his play, this team could surprise some people.