Yes, the Jacksonville Jaguars won their season opener against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, and sure, the 26-10 final score looks nice. But there wasn’t a whole lot to be impressed about when it came to quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Lawrence went 19-for-31 with 178 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the win. That was good for a 74.4 passer rating, and it came against a defense that was the worst in NFL history last year.
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So are we really supposed to be over the moon with Lawrence’s performance?
A former No. 1 overall pick who was bestowed the label of “generational talent” when he entered the league back in 2021, Lawrence has not lived up to expectations. He had a terrific second half in 2022, but otherwise, he has been nothing short of pedestrian thus far in his NFL career.
It’s not like Lawrence hasn’t had help, either. In fact, this year, he actually has a very enviable set of weapons at his disposal. Second-year wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was one of the NFL‘s best in 2024. Travis Hunter is a phenom. Guys like Dyami Brown and Parker Washington are very solid auxiliary receivers.
Heck, running back Travis Etienne Jr., who struggled last season, racked up 143 yards on 16 carries against the Panthers.
The help is there for Lawrence. He just isn’t taking full advantage of it, and it’s giving everyone more and more reasons to be concerned, especially after the 25-year-old signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension in June 2024.
Sure, it’s only Week 1, but Carolina presented one of the softest defenses that Lawrence will face in 2025, and he still couldn’t put together an above average outing. Not even at home.
Is the win the most important thing? To an extent, yes. But let’s be honest here: those wins won’t stack up in the long run if Lawrence doesn’t play well.
The Jaguars have a legitimate chance of winning the AFC South this season. As the Houston Texans displayed in their lifeless Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the division is wide open, and Jacksonville has more than enough talent to take it. Unless, of course, Lawrence is not up to the challenge.
Lawrence missed seven games due to injuries last season. During the time he was on the field, he was decidedly average, throwing for 2,045 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven picks while completing 60.6 percent of his passes. Actually, a serious argument can be made that he was subpar.
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The Clemson product has regressed since his remarkable run during the back half of his sophomore campaign. Considerably, too.
At this point, we shouldn’t even be asking if Lawrence can live up to his NFL Draft billing. We should merely be asking if he is honestly the Jaguars’ franchise quarterback moving forward. Right now, the jury is out on him.
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