The Jacksonville Jaguars have another franchise-changing decision to make.
Right now, Trevor Lawrence is absurdly overpaid and obviously underperforming.
GettyLawrence is making $275 million to lead the 1-5 Jaguars[/caption]
Five years ago, Lawrence was supposed to be a generational quarterback and ready-made No. 1 NFL Draft pick.
He became the latter, going first overall to Jacksonville in 2021 after producing a sparkling 38-2 college record at Clemson.
Then the 6ft 6in QB with the flowing hair and video-game arm started becoming a Jaguar.
Letdowns, disappointment and mounting fan frustration.
Too much money, not enough professional oversight, and staring up at the true elite of the NFL.
London temporarily saved the Jaguars’ season last year, giving Jacksonville false hope in a flat season that saw 6-2 end with 9-8.
A year later, the Jaguars didn’t even belong in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Doug Pederson, who was cast off by Philadelphia, spent part of his postgame press conference insisting that he still has the backing of billionaire owner Shahid Khan.
“I do. I was just with him, and I do,” said Pederson, after the Bears won in a 35-16 blowout and the Jags fell to 1-5.
Then Lawrence was asked if Jacksonville is still playing for Pederson, and the ensuing confusion perfectly captured a QB and franchise who should both be so much better.
GettyLawrence was outplayed by Caleb Williams as Chicago won in London[/caption]
Getty – ContributorLawrence was supposed to be the next great NFL QB at Clemson[/caption]
“Am I still playing for Doug?” Lawrence said.
Is the team still playing for Pederson, he was asked again.
“Yeah, that’s our head coach, and we’re a team,” Lawrence said. “This is tough. Losing is hard. It’s hard.
“So it has nothing to do with that relationship, how we feel about coach. We’re a group. We’re staying together. We know brighter days are ahead.”
When and how?
Lawrence’s generational talent is being wasted by Jacksonville.
He was forced by the Jags to start with Urban Meyer, which was a horrible joke.
And four years into his pro career, Lawrence is 21-35 and Jacksonville is staring at another lost season.
The NFL is waiting on Khan to fire Pederson.
But who’s going to fix Lawrence? And how does he finally find consistency with Jacksonville?
His massive five-year, $275 million contract currently looks like a very poor investment.
The wrong head coach put Lawrence on the wrong path with the JaguarsHandout – Getty
Chemistry, rhythm and energy are absent within the Jags’ offense, while Lawrence statistically ranks among the second half of NFL QBs.
Firing Pederson is the quick, instant fix.
Fixing Lawrence is the real problem for the Jaguars, who must rediscover what once made the Tiger so fascinating.
In 2024, Lawrence wouldn’t be the starter on any of the NFL’s best teams, and even someone like Bill Belichick might need a full reset and entire offseason to rebuild a 25-year-old QB who’s never come close to his college potential in the pros.
“What gives me confidence?” Lawrence said. “I know what we can do as a team. I’ve seen it. We have some really good players, a lot of playmakers.”
Then the QB who was supposed to change Jacksonville sounded like someone who’d been a losing Jaguar for too long.
“I’ve been through a lot in my career,” Lawrence said. “I’ve lost a lot of games. We have to change that around here, and we have to be the ones to do it.
“We have to take accountability. We have to go play well and find a way to win. It’s not going to go perfect, but just find a way to win in the end and put yourself in position to.
“That’s what sucks is today we didn’t have a chance to because we made too many mistakes. Those games always definitely suck.”
So does having a $275 million QB on a 1-5 team.