Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence believes he’s entering his prime in fifth NFL season: ‘I need to really turn it on’

Coming out of Clemson in 2021, quarterback Trevor Lawrence was hailed as the Prince that was Promised to save and fundamentally transform the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise. Five years into his time in the NFL, whether or not that fundamental transformation has occurred is up to the interpreter.

While Lawrence has had his share of success, including in a Pro Bowl season in 2022 that culminated in a comeback playoff win against the Los Angeles Chargers, he has also not been able to transcend the Jaguars franchise’s issues around him. After collapsing in the second half of the 2023 season, the Jags plummeted further to 4-13 in 2024 as Lawrence dealt with turnover issues, injuries, and all that had been built up around him by coach Doug Pederson fell apart.

Now, Lawrence enters Year 5 of his NFL career under a new coach in Liam Coen, and yet again is under the microscope that comes with his billing coming out of college and a contract worth $55 million annually. 2025 marks an ample time for Lawrence to live up to what’s expected of him, and he made it clear he’s aware of that during an appearance on Pardon My Take.

“I feel like this is like getting into my prime,” Lawrence said. “I got a lot of good years left ahead of me, and I need to really turn it on. And I think what we’ve built around me and what they’ve done this offseason has been a great start.” 

At his best, Lawrence has looked the part as a franchise quarterback who can be one of the best at his position. But too often, Lawrence has not been able to elevate the performance of the team around him in Jacksonville nor transcend bad situations. The Jaguars offense was impotent too often with Lawrence at the helm in 2024, as he failed to crack 200 yards passing on six different occasions while also not taking care of the football.

Following the hiring of former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, building the Jaguars around Lawrence has been a focus of their offseason. The Jags have not only fortified their offensive line through a spate of free agent signings and the selection of Wyatt Milum and Jonah Monheim in the draft, but they also traded up to No. 2 overall to draft another Heisman Trophy winner in two-way wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter.