How Liam Coen Saved Jaguars From Becoming Next Jets-Sam Darnold Tale

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- In 2019, a middling Jacksonville Jaguars team faced a New York Jets team in a tailspin.

The game was just one week after the Jets lost to the New England Patriots in a nationally televised 33-0 blowout where Sam Darnold infamously noted that he was seeing ghosts. Against the Jaguars the next week, Darnold would throw three interceptions as the Jaguars won by multiple scores.

#Jaguars mascot @JaxsonDeVille preparing for his pregame tradition with some 👻 attire pic.twitter.com/Lk678mffAV
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The game was highlighted, of course, by the Jaguars leaning completely into Darnold becoming the punchline of the NFL. Hardly anyone in the stadium that day thought that Darnold would go from meme to Super Bowl quarterback, and that is exactly what happened.

Darnold's story, frankly, should be rather appreciated by the Jaguars' base. Because without Liam Coen, that could have been Trevor Lawrence.

Coen Saved Jaguars From Being Darnold'd

It is fair to point out that not all young, struggling quarterbacks are the next player who will become Darnold. Each quarterback's career is a case-by-case basis, and Darnold's career took turns to the Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, and then finally the Seattle Seahawks. Darnold has been a backup, a journeyman, and everything in between before he started to turn his career around with the Vikings last year.

This year, Darnold was exactly what the Seahawks needed when they decided to move on from Geno Smith. Darnold is now four quarters away from joining the exclusive club of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks, and the Jets are left wondering "what if?"

sam darnol — Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) celebrates with the trophy on the podium after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Without Coen coming in to revive Lawrence's career at the perfect moment, it isn't hard to think this could have been Lawrence's story. The Jaguars have never come close to parting ways with Lawrence like the Jets did when they dumped Darnold for Zach Wilson (a move made with new Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh in the building!), but 2025 was clearly a critical year.

With Lawrence facing challenging seasons in 2023 and 2024 due largely to injuries and partly to inconsistent play and failure to meet expectations, 2025 felt like an important year regardless of the contract he signed just one year earlier. And like Darnold, Lawrence's issue has never been his talent.

trevor lawrenc — Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) celebrates with head coach Liam Coen (obscured) after the game against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Lawrence finally got the coach to unlock Lawrence's potential with Coen, who proved to be the perfect match for the fifth-year quarterback. After a slow start, Lawrence played the best football of his career under Coen and has turned into the franchise quarterback the Jaguars always knew he was.

Is it that far out to consider a reality where the Jaguars make a different hire in 2025 and things don't go as great for Lawrence? It is even easier to consider that Lawrence, for all the talent he has, would have surely been an asset to another franchise. But luckily, the Jaguars aren't the Jets.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen greets quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) after the game of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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