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Trevor Lawrence was a different player last season than he had been throughout his first four years with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The talent had always been there. Lawrence would occasionally show flashes of it, but was never able to put it all together for an entire season. It was, at times, infuriating to watch a quarterback whom everybody expected to become a superstar be as inconsistent as Lawrence had been.
Jacksonville always had faith that Lawrence would eventually figure it out. They bet on it. To the tune of $275 million over five years, which was the value of the contract extension Lawrence signed with the Jaguars in 2024.
The franchise never wavered in its belief in Lawrence. They just needed to find some way of getting him to reach his enormous potential.
Or someone.
Enter Liam Coen, who was hired to be head coach of the Jaguars in January 2025.
Coen came to Duval after spending the 2024 season as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his lone season with the Bucs, Coen was able to turn Baker Mayfield into a no-doubt franchise quarterback. Mayfield posted career-best numbers almost across the board, including 4,500 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, a passer rating of 106.8, all while completing an astonishing 71.4% of his passes.
The hope was that Coen could work his magic with Lawrence just like he did with Mayfield.
He did not disappoint. Under Coen, Lawrence had the best year of his career, throwing for over 4,000 yards and a career-high 29 TDs, while also adding another 9 scores on the ground. Lawrence was named a finalist for NFL MVP, and Jacksonville shocked the NFL with a 13-4 record and AFC South division title.
Lawrence credits Coen for his success. Not just for changing his play, but also changing his mentality.
Speaking with Evan Washburn of CBS Sports, Lawrence praised Coen's mentality as "a gift" and how it has rubbed off on him.
“He just lives every day with that chip on his shoulder... Having that intensity from him has brought more out of me. I’ve been able to demand more from my teammates and hold myself and other guys accountable."
It is clear that Coen not only brought the best out of Lawrence as a player, but as a leader as well. Lawrence became confident enough to speak up more and make sure that everyone, including himself, was doing his part.
Coen has already told his team that it will take more than one good season for the Jaguars to earn respect and be considered one of the NFL's elite teams.
He has already been proven right. Lawrence, despite being one of four QBs named a finalist for MVP last year, finished only 16th in QB rankings from a panel of NFL coaches and executives. As a team, the Jaguars are all over the place in different NFL power rankings, with one only placing the team 16th.
So, how will Lawrence/Coen part 2 shake out in 2026?
Lawrence has already talked about heading into this season being much more comfortable in Coen's offense. He admitted that learning the system was "stressful mentally" last year, and now he and his teammates can focus on mastering the offense instead of having to learn it. The Jaguars' offense has looked significantly ahead of where it was at this point last year, which is a scary thought for the rest of the league.
If Lawrence can take his game to an even higher level now that he is more familiar with Coen's offense, the sky is the limit for Jacksonville this season. The Jaguars have possibly the deepest group of wide receivers in the league, with a QB coming into his own to get them the ball.
The effect Coen has had on Lawrence has been monumental. Lawrence is finally looking like the quarterback many expected him to be when Jacksonville drafted him first overall in 2021.
Just 26 years old, Lawrence's best years are likely still in front of him. His partnership with Coen can become one of the elite QB/coach pairings in the NFL.
Coen is an offensive genius whose mentality and personality have made an enormous impact on Lawrence and the rest of the team. He has only been in Jacksonville for one season, and he can grow and improve as a head coach as Lawrence grows and improves as a quarterback.
The upcoming season could be the most fun in Jaguars' history.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
The talent had always been there. Lawrence would occasionally show flashes of it, but was never able to put it all together for an entire season. It was, at times, infuriating to watch a quarterback whom everybody expected to become a superstar be as inconsistent as Lawrence had been.
Jacksonville always had faith that Lawrence would eventually figure it out. They bet on it. To the tune of $275 million over five years, which was the value of the contract extension Lawrence signed with the Jaguars in 2024.
The franchise never wavered in its belief in Lawrence. They just needed to find some way of getting him to reach his enormous potential.
Or someone.
Enter Liam Coen, who was hired to be head coach of the Jaguars in January 2025.
Coen came to Duval after spending the 2024 season as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his lone season with the Bucs, Coen was able to turn Baker Mayfield into a no-doubt franchise quarterback. Mayfield posted career-best numbers almost across the board, including 4,500 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, a passer rating of 106.8, all while completing an astonishing 71.4% of his passes.
The hope was that Coen could work his magic with Lawrence just like he did with Mayfield.
He did not disappoint. Under Coen, Lawrence had the best year of his career, throwing for over 4,000 yards and a career-high 29 TDs, while also adding another 9 scores on the ground. Lawrence was named a finalist for NFL MVP, and Jacksonville shocked the NFL with a 13-4 record and AFC South division title.
Lawrence credits Coen for his success. Not just for changing his play, but also changing his mentality.
Speaking with Evan Washburn of CBS Sports, Lawrence praised Coen's mentality as "a gift" and how it has rubbed off on him.
“He just lives every day with that chip on his shoulder... Having that intensity from him has brought more out of me. I’ve been able to demand more from my teammates and hold myself and other guys accountable."
It is clear that Coen not only brought the best out of Lawrence as a player, but as a leader as well. Lawrence became confident enough to speak up more and make sure that everyone, including himself, was doing his part.
How Will Lawrence/Coen Part 2 Shake Out?
Coen has already told his team that it will take more than one good season for the Jaguars to earn respect and be considered one of the NFL's elite teams.
He has already been proven right. Lawrence, despite being one of four QBs named a finalist for MVP last year, finished only 16th in QB rankings from a panel of NFL coaches and executives. As a team, the Jaguars are all over the place in different NFL power rankings, with one only placing the team 16th.
So, how will Lawrence/Coen part 2 shake out in 2026?
Lawrence has already talked about heading into this season being much more comfortable in Coen's offense. He admitted that learning the system was "stressful mentally" last year, and now he and his teammates can focus on mastering the offense instead of having to learn it. The Jaguars' offense has looked significantly ahead of where it was at this point last year, which is a scary thought for the rest of the league.
If Lawrence can take his game to an even higher level now that he is more familiar with Coen's offense, the sky is the limit for Jacksonville this season. The Jaguars have possibly the deepest group of wide receivers in the league, with a QB coming into his own to get them the ball.
Final Thoughts
The effect Coen has had on Lawrence has been monumental. Lawrence is finally looking like the quarterback many expected him to be when Jacksonville drafted him first overall in 2021.
Just 26 years old, Lawrence's best years are likely still in front of him. His partnership with Coen can become one of the elite QB/coach pairings in the NFL.
Coen is an offensive genius whose mentality and personality have made an enormous impact on Lawrence and the rest of the team. He has only been in Jacksonville for one season, and he can grow and improve as a head coach as Lawrence grows and improves as a quarterback.
The upcoming season could be the most fun in Jaguars' history.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
