The weight of expectation is crashing down on Trevor Lawrence. In ten outings last season, the Jaguars’ star racked up 2,045 yards with 11 touchdowns against 7 picks before injury cut things short. Respectable, yes. But Jacksonville didn’t snag “Sunshine” with the first overall pick in 2021 just to settle for respectable. During this time, Trevor threw for 46 INTs. for the 4th-most in the league. The top 3 QBs? Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Baker Mayfield. So, the only difference is that Trevor’s thrown for 69 passing TDs, ranking him 18th during that time. They drafted him to be the kind of star who brings trophies to Duval. And after a camp filled with frustration, the clock is ticking faster.

Meanwhile, the national chatter hasn’t been forgiving either. NFL analyst Nick Wright cut right to the chase on First Things First, saying, “If they hit the floor, Trevor’s a bust and it’s over. He’s obviously not a bust. It’s obviously not over. They have what some people are calling the Ohtani of the NFL in Travis Hunter.” Then came the sharper blow from former NFL QB Chase Daniel.

Taking to X, he dropped the kind of reality check fans in Duval couldn’t scroll past: “Trevor Lawrence has the most pressure on him this year to succeed & I don’t think it’s even close.” Daniel doubled down on the pressure by pointing out that the spotlight isn’t really on new play-caller Liam Coen. As one co-host added, “I think that’s where the pressure is going to be on for them to figure out if he’s the guy. Not so much on Liam but more on Trevor.”

In fact, Daniel didn’t mince words about how big this year is for the Jags QB. “I think that this play caller is sort of Trevor Lawrence’s last lifeline in terms of if you can’t get it with Liam Coen who has done amazing things with like Baker Mayfield, who has turned his career around.” And with Coen’s track record, Lawrence has every reason to make it work. Even in his last showing, after coughing up an early fumble, he showed the resilience Jacksonville drafted him for.

To his credit, Lawrence rebounded with sharp efficiency, hitting 8 of 10 passes for 76 yards and a score. One miss came off a drop, but the numbers still spoke volumes. The Jaguars averaged 7.6 yards per attempt under his direction and punched into the red zone twice. For a fanbase hungry for proof, that was a sign of life.

Still, Coen’s scheme isn’t exactly paint by numbers. It’s layered, heavy on reads, and demands quick execution. Lawrence has managed to look steady at moments, though the road hasn’t been smooth. Yet when it mattered, he found ways to deliver. With Week 1 looming, the bigger picture is that the Jaguars’ leader appears calm and confident. However, despite the positives, the shadow of uncertainty continues to linger as Coen asked to replace the Jaguars star.

Should Liam Coen replace Trevor Lawrence?

Trevor Lawrence heads into 2025 carrying the weight of a massive payday. The Jaguars didn’t just take him No. 1 overall in 2021, they doubled down with a five-year, $275 million extension, locking in $200 million guaranteed. That’s the kind of contract that screams franchise cornerstone. Yet outside of two winning seasons, both at 9-8 back in 2022, 2023 his résumé doesn’t exactly scream elite.

But for someone with every physical tool you could want in a quarterback, why does Trevor Lawrence keep coming up short? Former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum put the spotlight squarely on technique, not talent. On ESPN’s Get Up, he said, “Dan [Orlovsky] talked about [Trevor’s] mental mindset, I think it’s much more about his fundamentals. He was coached by Doug Pederson. Doug Pederson knows how to coach quarterbacks.”

The numbers back his point. Lawrence finished last year with a 60.6 percent completion rate, 31st in the NFL, and ranked 29th in completion percentage above expectation. As Tannenbaum put it, “That’s not good enough for somebody that’s that good. And Doug Pederson is a fundamentals-based coach. So, to me, this is about his fundamentals more than anything.”

Tannenbaum didn’t stop there. He admitted Lawrence’s injuries last year earned him “a little bit of a free pass,” but cautioned patience is wearing thin. “It’s getting late early,” he warned. With new era under Liam Coen in place, Tannenbaum even floated the nuclear option: “I’m thinking about drafting a quarterback if we don’t see meaningful improvement [from Trevor Lawrence].”

On top of that, Jacksonville has already mortgaged its 2026 first rounder to secure Travis Hunter. If the Jags actually reach a point where they need to chase another quarterback, it’ll cost them dearly. So, the best hope for Duval is simple. Lawrence has to become the star they’ve been banking on since day one.