Jaguars' QB Confidence Level Ranked No. 7 in AFC

Should six teams in the AFC feel better about their quarterback situations than the Jaguars?

How confident should the Jacksonville Jaguars be in their quarterback situation? 

Conventional wisdom -- and anyone you ask internally -- says extremely. Lawrence is well on his way to being the most accomplished passer in franchise history, but the poor end to the 2023 season has Lawrence on the wrong side of many opinions. 

One reflection of that is a Sports Illustrated ranking of the confidence levels for each AFC team. Among the 16 teams, the Jaguars rank at No. 7 with a confidence level of 7 out of 10. 

This puts the Jaguars behind the Kansas City Chiefs (10), Houston Texans (10), Baltimore Ravens (9), Buffalo Bills (9), Cincinnati Bengals (8.5), and the Los Angeles Chargers (8). 

The Jaguars do find themselves in front of the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, while also being ranked ahead of AFC South rivals like the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans. 

"Yes, Trevor Lawrence played through injuries throughout the back half of the season. Yes, his offensive line was inconsistent. But Lawrence was supposed to take a quantum leap last year, and instead threw 21 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. More importantly, Jacksonville collapsed down the stretch, missing the playoffs. Lawrence is still a terrific player, but he has much to prove," SI said.

It is hard to imagine that six teams in the AFC alone are better off or more confident in their quarterback situations than the Jaguars are, especially considering the context of why Lawrence struggled down the stretch. With that said, this is a direct reflection of how stacked the AFC is at the position with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, C.J. Stroud, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow.

Lawrence finished the season completing 65.6% of his passes for 4,016 yards, 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, along with seven lost fumbles. Lawrence also missed his first career start as he dealt with four different injuries, with Lawrence seemingly having to limp to the finish of the season.

After making it through his first two seasons with minimal injury scares, Lawrence was legitimately walking wounded for much of 2023. Lawrence sustained four different injuries this fall that forced him to miss valuable practice time and play in several games with injuries: a knee injury in Week 6, an ankle injury in Week 13, a concussion in Week 15, and then finally a shoulder injury in Week 16 that forced him to miss his first-career start.

The injuries stacked up during the Jaguars' six-game stretch that saw them go 1-5 and miss the playoffs. Among Lawrence's 16 starts, his four starts after each injury saw Lawrence have his 2nd, 5th, 7th, and 8th worst games of the season by total EPA.