Jaguars coach Liam Coen expecting big things from Trevor Lawrence: He needs to ‘take over'

New York Times

2 days ago

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Trevor Lawrence's career has hit a pivotal stretch.
The Jacksonville Jaguars franchise quarterback and No. 1 pick of the 2021 NFL Draft appeared to be on the brink of a meteoric rise. But then a couple of injury-plagued seasons stunted his progress, while unmet expectations on a team-wide level resulted in the second coaching change of his short tenure.
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Now, however, with offensive guru Liam Coen running the show and a couple of exciting receivers at his disposal, Lawrence has his best opportunity to match the hype that's followed him throughout his career.
'I have a ton of confidence in what we're doing, and that feels really good,' Lawrence told The Athletic recently. 'From a scheme perspective, I've never been in a system like this. I've seen it work with other teams and players, and you can plug and play all these different types of quarterbacks and receivers, and they've all had success. That makes me excited for the group we have.'
Lawrence's command of the offense will take time, but he's already given Coen reasons for optimism. The quarterback room took a 100-question pop quiz about the offense on their early-report date for training camp, and Lawrence easily outpaced the group with 85 correct answers. The test covered concepts, formations, motions, assignments in the run game, protections, criteria for changing plays at the line and a host of other elements that will arise during games.
While such a score could be viewed as a reasonable expectation for a starting QB, Coen was legitimately impressed Lawrence performed markedly better than John Wolford and Nick Mullens, who have longer histories in the scheme. And these tests have a reputation for being stressful and challenging.
'He blew the doors off (the test),' Coen said. 'And it's showed (in practice). It's showed in his command of the huddle, the way he calls plays. He's being asked a lot on every single play.'
Coen broke into the NFL under Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, and, like his former boss, Coen is known to be demanding of his quarterbacks. Coen rode Baker Mayfield hard last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Bucs QB produced the best season of his career. But for Coen, the hard coaching comes from a place of mutual respect, along with his desire to draw the absolute best out of the position.
There's a reason Coen and Mayfield have remained close.
Now in Jacksonville, Coen has challenged Lawrence to excel as the team's leader, which is even more important after losing respected veterans like Christian Kirk and Evan Engram over the offseason. Lawrence has to rally every position together more than ever.
Coen also has demanded Lawrence take total command at the line of scrimmage. Nearly 90 percent of Coen's play calls include two plays, and it's Lawrence's responsibility to get everyone set under the better call from the line.
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'That's where we'll need him,' Coen said. 'If I call a crappy play on third-and-8, how can you go put the team on your back and gain a first down? You might have to use your legs or run through somebody. You might have to go make a play. Ultimately, we're trying to get him to the point to go play freely. Just go play, have fun, cut it loose, let it rip because this is your team, and everybody is going to have to play up to your standards every single day.
'To this point in his career, he hasn't maybe always had to do that; he's maybe had some vets who could lead their own groups. Now, it's, 'Dude, you need to lead all those guys. They're looking to you, and we're looking to you.''
Lawrence has already felt the effects of the change. While he might be a more natural leader by example, he's consciously working to hold everyone to a certain level of accountability. If someone wasn't studying enough or a receiver was off a route a step short or missed their landmark out of a break, Lawrence has gotten in his ear. He's not the type to chew out a teammate, but he has a way of delivering a message while staying true to himself.
'It has to be natural,' Lawrence said. 'I've also learned how important it is to speak up and hold people accountable, to set the standard, to let other guys know little things aren't OK to let slide. Early in my career, it was hard for me.
'But this offseason, I let people know how critical the details are. I've gotten better at addressing all the little details and not letting things slide. I think that's the first step for me.'
Lawrence's trajectory was on the uptick when he delivered a historic comeback victory during the 2022 postseason, but a high ankle sprain, concussion and sprained shoulder disrupted his 2023 season. He sprained his left AC joint in 2024, which resulted in his second surgery on the shoulder since his rookie year. The 25-year-old also suffered a concussion that ultimately ended his season.
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Lawrence worked to strengthen both shoulders over the offseason, with a particular emphasis on avoiding more AC joint injuries, as part of an effort to have a healthier year.
To be fair, the Jaguars need to help Lawrence, too. They've beaten themselves with too many drops and ill-timed mistakes over the past couple seasons, a complete reversal from the way they mastered clutch moments in 2022.
Back-to-back first-rounders Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter should be one of the most explosive receiver duos in the league, so there will be an emphasis on getting them into space with the ball. And Coen's run-centric offense will take pressure off Lawrence as well.
'We need him to play well, but we're going to have to play well around him and help him,' Coen said. 'We've got to run the football better to help Trevor Lawrence. We've got to turn over the ball more on defense to help Trevor Lawrence. But Trevor needs to take it over, and he's done a phenomenal job of learning the system, putting in the time and work.'
Lawrence's last season opened with his five-year, $275 million extension, but it closed with shoulder surgery and coach Doug Pederson's firing. The Jaguars have since turned to Coen and general manager James Gladstone to reignite the spark the organization seemed to find in 2022.
And for that to happen, Lawrence has to take his game to the highest level of his career. That's been the mission so far.
'Everything feels like it's being done the right way,' Lawrence said of the Jaguars' approach to the season. 'I'm really excited for the future. Every year is its own year. Who knows how things are going to go, and I have a lot of belief and confidence it's going to be a great year for us.'