Lawrence and Pederson Usher In Exciting New Era of Jags Football

The Jaguars' new duo at the top of the franchise is looking to make a big wave.

Trevor Lawrence and Doug Pederson are ready to work. 

There wasn’t much to be excited about when it came to the 2021 season for the Jaguars. Poor performance on the field and the Urban Meyer circus off of it made it more entertaining in the headlines rather than the football field. But with Lawrence on the roster and a new coaching staff, things are trending upwards in Duval County.

New Head Coach Doug Pederson is a Super Bowl Champion and oversaw an Eagles offense that ranked in the top 15 for three out of the four years he was there. Carson Wentz had some of the best seasons of his career in this offense and was a runner-up for the MVP award in 2017. 

He also found success with the Kansas City Chiefs as their offensive coordinator, making the playoffs in two out of the three years led by savvy veteran quarterback Alex Smith. All in all, that means good news for Lawrence, last year's No. 1 overall pick

When speaking with Jaguars team reporter Ashlyn Sullivan, Quarterback Trevor Lawrence expressed excitement at working with a coach who played quarterback at the NFL level and relief that the Jaguars found their guy. 

“We’re really excited, obviously I talked to him briefly on the phone, I guess that was Thursday night, and then today, first time meeting him in person, just seems like a really great guy,” Lawrence said.

.@Trevorlawrencee is ready to hit the ground running with Coach Pederson.#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/YyaXGbArTV

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) February 6, 2022

“Obviously, he’s had a lot of success. His resume kind of speaks for itself. He’s an offensive guy, played quarterback in the NFL. All of those things make me really excited, and it’s something that I’m just excited to get to work with him and see what he brings to the table. I think everybody’s excited, everybody’s really relieved we got our guy. To be able to move forward and just go to work now is a good feeling.”

Pederson offers a view of the game from a quarterbacks lens, something that Lawrence believes will not only make him a better player but create an environment where everyone can thrive. The excitement is mutual for Pederson and both men are eager to quickly forget last season and get to work on laying the foundation for the future.

“It is unfortunate that things didn’t go necessarily smoothly this past year, but that’s behind us now,” Pederson said. “I’m just excited to come in here, roll up my sleeves, go to work, create a system that enhances his skill set, and be successful. I pride myself in that. We did it in my former place with Carson Wentz early in his career and really feel like that’s a strength that I can help and be a part of that.”

Time will tell if the Lawrence and Pederson pairing will work out, but if the first impressions for both men are any indication then there is a lot of excitement to be had around the organization among the fans. Change is upon Duval County and an exciting new era of Jaguars football is set to begin.