Which QB Does Trevor Lawrence's Approach Remind Doug Pederson Of?
To say Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson has been impressed by Trevor Lawrence's approach so far would be an understatement.
Lawrence has drawn praise since his first practice as a rookie for his mindset and cool, even-keeled approach to the position. While he has moments of frustration like any competitor, Lawrence has proven to be a calm passer under center, even in the worst of situations.
But which quarterback does Lawrence's mindset remind Pederson the most of? Is it a quarterback from his days in Philadelphia, such as Carson Wentz or Nick Foles? Is it a quarterback from his days with Andy Reid, such as Alex Smith or Donovan McNabb?
No, no, no, and no.
Instead, it is a former teammate who Lawrence reminds Pederson of: former Green Bay Packers quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre, who Pederson was teammates with in Green Bay for four seasons in the 1990s.
During an appearance on 'The SiriusXM Blitz with Brett Favre and Bruce Murray', Pederson highlighted exactly why Lawrence entering his second season reminds him of Favre, who was still in his developing years when he shared the field with him in Green Bay.
“He’s such a mature young individual. Nothing really fazes him. Honestly, Brett, he kinda reminds me of you that way," Pederson said.
"Nothing really fazed you when things got a little sideways. You were always the same yesterday and today and that’s the way Trevor is. Trevor doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low and I think that’s a great quality to have in a quarterback.”
Starting all 17 games in Jacksonville's 3-14 campaign last year, Lawrence completed 59.6% of his passes for 3,641 yards (6.0 yards per attempt) for 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, which included a lengthy period where Lawrence didn't throw a touchdown pass.
Among last year's rookie passers, Lawrence finished No. 3 in completion %, No. 2 in passing yards, No. 3 in touchdowns, No. 1 in interceptions, No. 6 in touchdown %, No. 5 in quarterback rating, No. 1 in sack %, No. 6 in yards per attempt, and No. 6 in adjusted yards per attempt.
While the production wasn't there for Lawrence as a rookie on a bad Jaguars team, the former No. 1 overall pick still demonstrated leadership qualities and a mindset a team wants to see form their hopeful franchise quarterback.
As a result, Lawrence was named a captain for the second year in a row this week. This year, the Jaguars' captain choices came down to a locker room vote, meaning Lawrence left an impression on those he is set to take the field with.
“I think what has impressed me the most is just the maturity level with him. How he’s survived a year as a rookie with everything surrounding him that took place and how he was able to handle that," Pederson said on Monday.
"I think now, stability around him with the team, with the coaching staff, but you see the maturity, you see the leadership in the locker room, you see what he’s been able to do even with the new additions to the offense and even to the team. That, to me, is kind of the one thing that stood out to me. You see the athleticism, you see the arm strength on tape, but when you get to know him and the kind of person he is. That part of it, his leadership, I think caught all our attention.”
