The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off a solid 2023-24 season under the leadership of rising star quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence signed a five-year, $275 million deal during the offseason, with $200 million guaranteed, which ranked as the third-largest total in NFL history at the time. Many are skeptical of Jacksonville's investment in Lawrence, but head coach Doug Pederson got real on why he believes Lawrence's future is bright.
“The decision was easy. We all feel in the building that he's our guy, and he's obviously the face of the franchise. He was drafted two years ago, a first-round pick, to be that guy, and we have all the confidence in the world [in him]. We're just excited and thrilled for he and his family to get this contract behind him as we head into the 24′ season,” Doug Pederson said, via NFL Network.
Despite Pederson's praise of the rising Jaguars quarterback, the head coach acknowledged Lawrence and the team have improvements to make.
“And just continue to build on the last two years. Wasn't a perfect finish to last season. We had some injuries. Trevor's one of those guys, so we have to continue to keep healthy. But he's on the right path, and we continue to work. We build the pieces around him, get our run game going a little bit, play good defense, and see what happens,” Pederson added.
Doug Pederson's confidence in Trevor Lawrence is fitting, given his 2023-24 production. The 24-year-old threw for 4,016 yards (10th in the NFL) and 21 TDs. He looks to continue his strong play to eventually help Jacksonville to a deep postseason run.
Jaguars remain excited for the future
Jacksonville provided greater support to their roster during the 2024 NFL Draft. The team's first-round pick, Brian Thomas Jr., turned heads at one of his first practices. Five-time Pro Bowler Jarvis Landry took note of Thomas' exceptional ability and had high praise for the new Trevor Lawrence weapon.
When asked what his impression of Thomas' practice was, Landry did not hold back.
“Elite. Elite. Elite,” Landry claimed, per Sports Illustrated. “So just watching him watching him out here and, you know, seeing it firsthand in person. I've seen him on TV a couple of times, you know, but seeing it firsthand. He's elite.”
Landry made a massive improvement going into his last year with LSU, totaling 1171 yards and 17 TDs. His progression garnered admiration from numerous NFL scouts, and he solidified himself as a touted draft pick. Thomas and Jacksonville's returning contributors should be great pieces alongside Trevor Lawrence.
Jacksonville ended the 2023-24 season with a 9-8 record, which placed them second in the AFC South. As Doug Pederson alluded, the Jaguars missed the NFL Playoffs after a shaky end to the regular season. One of their most pivotal matchups came against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Christmas Eve in 2023. The Jaguars lost 30-12 after a subpar two-way performance.
Despite their challenges, Jacksonville looks to return strong for the 2024-25 season. It will be interesting to see how they fare amid intense competition in the AFC.
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