Why Trevor Lawrence Holds the Key to Jaguars' Contender Status

Trevor Lawrence is coming off the best season of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was a season where Lawrence put up great numbers and took care of the football.

That was the biggest concern for Lawrence, who was unsure about his future last offseason when the new regime of head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone took over. But they stood by Lawrence's side, and he was their guy at the quarterback position, and it was the right call.

Lawrence led his team to have the most wins since he became a Jaguar, with 13, and led them to an AFC South title. Lawrence was a finalist for the NFL MVP, and he will be looking to win that next season, but more importantly, make a different run next year in the playoffs. The Jaguars are looking to go all the way and win it all. That is the expectation that they will have of them, and one that will challenge them. It will not be a surprise to the Jaguars, as they know what team they have.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to pass during the first quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Trevor Lawrence going for all of it in 2026

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen had a lot to do with Lawrence's great season last year. Coen came to Jacksonville to make this team better, and Lawrence was one of the major reasons why he took the head coaching job for the Jaguars. Coen and Lawrence wanted to make sure they did their best to make sure they got the best out of each other in the first season together. It all started on the day Coen got hired. Lawrence knew his new head coach was a good one and believed in him.

"The second half of 2025 finally saw Lawrence become the player who had been promised since he entered the league in 2021," said Seth Walder of ESPN. "Lawrence ranked fifth in the league in QBR after Jacksonville's Week 8 bye -- and from Week 11 on, he moved up to third."

Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) and Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) shake hands after the game at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

"Normally, I'm wary of strictly looking at second-half splits to project forward, but there's a reasonable explanation in this case, as it was his first year in coach Liam Coen's system. Jaguars fans have the right to be bullish on Lawrence for 2026 and beyond."

The Jaguars are going to be a team to watch all next season. They want to win the division again but they have bigger fish to fry and Lawrence is going to be all about it next season.

ml, — Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, left listens on the headset as Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen call a play during the first quarter in an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Bills lead 10-7 at the half over the Jaguars. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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