Jaguars HC Doug Pederson ‘hitting the reset button’ with QB Trevor Lawrence

Before last month’s NFL Draft, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne was able to joke about feeling somewhat fortunate he missed what became a drama-filled season that featured Urban Meyer serving as the team’s head coach for less than one full year. 

Fellow 2021 rookie Trevor Lawrence wasn’t so lucky, and he rarely performed like a college superstar worthy of being drafted first overall. Per ESPN stats, Lawrence ended his debut pro campaign 30th among eligible quarterbacks with a 71.9 passer rating and 28th with a 33.5 total QBR. He also matched 17 interceptions (tied for the league lead) with only 12 touchdown passes.

The Jaguars ultimately hired one-time Super Bowl champion head coach Doug Pederson to serve as Meyer’s permanent replacement, and Lawrence remarked in April that he and his new coach were “on the same page” as of that time. Pederson spoke with reporters on Friday about giving the 22-year-old a needed fresh start this spring and summer. 

“It’s really sort of taking what he did last year and sort of building on it,” Pederson explained, according to Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “Almost like hitting the reset button just a little bit, because this is the first time we’ve had our chance to work with him and really begin to work on the details and the fundamentals — how to be a professional, his study habits, and all those things that come with being an NFL quarterback. And the thing with Trevor that I really like is the fact that he played last year.

“And so, this is not his rookie season. But for us, as coaches, being the first time to get our hands on him and just putting him through maybe a different set of drills, something that he hasn’t been used to in his past, and really developing his talent and allowing him to showcase that on the field is sort of what I was alluding to the other day.”

This offseason’s quarterback carousel proved that a club can quickly and, sometimes, without warning change its mind about its QB1. Pederson needs to start getting the best out of Lawrence beginning in September to avoid having to answer some awkward questions by January.