One year into the job, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen thinks that the sky is the limit for quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
“Going into the process — from watching tape — I was like, ‘Alright, this dude is tough,’” Coen said about Lawrence in an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday. “I do think he’s tough. He takes shots, gets up, doesn’t say a word, has played hurt, has missed time. [He previously had] four new systems, multiple different head coach situations, [offensive coordinators], whatever it is. You go throughout the season, he doesn’t miss a single practice, doesn’t miss a single throw in practice, played the whole season.
“Obviously, [as] an MVP finalist [and] Comeback Player of the Year finalist, [he] did some great things. There’s so much room to continue to improve, and I think that’s what we’re excited about attacking.”
Last season, Lawrence totaled 4,007 passing yards, a career-high 29 passing touchdowns — good for fifth in the NFL — 12 interceptions and a 91.0 passer rating, while completing 60.9% of his passes. He also rushed for 359 yards and nine touchdowns, which were each career highs. Moreover, Lawrence ranked fourth among quarterbacks with 29 “big-time throws,” according to Pro Football Focus.
After owning a mere 79.4 passer rating and completing just 59.8% of his passes through Jacksonville’s first 11 games, Lawrence finished the regular season in style, totaling 1,600 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, one interception and a 113.2 passer rating across the ensuing six contests, while completing 63.0% of his passes.
In all, Jacksonville’s offense was sixth in the NFL in points (27.9 per game), 11th in total yards (337.4 per game), 12th in passing yards (222.3 per game) and 20th in rushing yards (115.1 per game) in its first season with Coen as head coach. Lawrence and the Jaguars won the AFC South at 13-4, making the playoffs for the first time since 2022, before losing at home to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round.
“When you start with A) humility and B) toughness, mentally and physically, I think you can do a lot with a quarterback,” Coen said. “We spent a lot of time in San Francisco at the Super Bowl going through that week, and I got to see a different side of him, hang out with him in a different lens, and I’m really excited about working with Trevor again this year.”
Coen is the fourth head coach that Lawrence, a 2022 Pro Bowler who was the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has had in his five-year NFL career (Urban Meyer, Darrell Bevell, Doug Pederson and Coen).
