Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has the arm talent, but does that put him ahead of franchise icon Mark Brunell? Brunell helped turn Jacksonville into a playoff contender in the 1990s, while Lawrence is still building his legacy amid years of change. Former Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith has now weighed in on the comparison.
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Smith played alongside Brunell in Jacksonville and weighed in on X after a fan suggested Lawrence had more natural talent, while Brunell had the advantage of a stronger roster and coaching staff.
“Not better. Just different,” Smith wrote on X.
Lawrence came to the NFL as the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, carrying high expectations. The Jaguars reached the playoffs in 2022 after he threw for 4,113 yards and 25 touchdowns, helping them win the AFC South. Their game against the Chargers looked over before halftime, with Lawrence throwing four interceptions. But he kept going after the break, threw four touchdown passes, and helped Jacksonville wipe out a 27-point deficit to win 31–30.
Lawrence continued to put up strong numbers in 2025, throwing for 4,007 yards and 29 touchdowns in 17 games. Through Jacksonville’s first four games of the 2026 season, he had completed 69.2% of his passes for 843 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions.
Lawrence’s physical ability has also drawn praise from those who play alongside him. Jaguars wide receiver Jakobi Meyers offered a simple description of the quarterback’s physical tools:
“He’s tall, he’s fast, he’s big, he can throw. He can go wherever he wants to, truthfully.”
That supports the fan’s argument about Lawrence’s raw talent, but physical ability alone cannot settle a comparison between quarterbacks from different eras.
Brunell’s record, meanwhile, was built over nine seasons with Jacksonville from 1995 to 2003. The former quarterback made three Pro Bowls and led the Jaguars to four playoff appearances, two AFC Championship Games and two AFC Central titles. He remains the franchise’s all-time leader in passing yards, with 25,698, and passing touchdowns, with 144. Brunell’s time in Jacksonville tells a different part of the franchise’s story.
The 1996 season remains a big part of that history. Jacksonville went 9–7 that year, then beat Buffalo 30–27 in the wild-card round. The Jaguars followed that with another 30–27 win, this time against top-seeded Denver. Brunell threw for 245 yards and two touchdowns in that game and picked up another 44 yards on the ground. His fourth-quarter scramble helped set up a touchdown pass to Smith, sealing a victory that sent the expansion-era Jaguars to the AFC Championship Game.
The roster around Brunell also gives context to the fan’s argument. Smith was one of the league’s productive receivers, recording 116 catches for 1,636 yards in 1999. Fellow wide receiver Keenan McCardell added 891 yards that season, while running back Fred Taylor rushed for 732 yards in 10 games. Head coach Tom Coughlin led the Jaguars to a 14–2 regular-season record that year. Those are tangible examples of the talent and coaching around Brunell.
Brunell himself once reflected on how uncertain his early career had seemed.
“I was a young player. I didn’t know how good I could be. I wanted it, but that doesn’t get you very far. You have no idea where it will go. All you’re thinking about is, ‘I want to get my shot.’ I got my shot honestly a lot earlier than I expected to.”
The situations surrounding the two quarterbacks also differ. Brunell helped build the Jaguars’ early identity under Coughlin, while Lawrence has played through coaching changes and roster turnover in a much different NFL. Jacksonville’s 2025 resurgence under head coach Liam Coen gave Lawrence his strongest statistical season yet, but he is still writing his own story with the franchise.