Entering the 2024 NFL season, owner Shad Khan described this as “the best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars ever” after making some key offseason additions (Brian Thomas Jr., Gabe Davis, Arik Armstead, etc.) and signing Trevor Lawrence to a five-year, $275 million deal that made him one of the NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks.
However, when Jacksonville dropped its first four games and eight of its first 10, Khan fired head coach Doug Pederson, who was 22-29 in three seasons with the Jaguars.
Lawrence, who struggled with injuries last season, placing 31st in PFSN’s QB+ metric, recently addressed Pederson’s firing and made it clear that the coach wasn’t the only person responsible for Jacksonville’s disastrous season.
‘Everybody Has Their Part’ – Trevor Lawrence on Doug Pederson’s Firing
Lawrence shared a close relationship with Pederson and had his career-best season in 2022 under him when he made it to the Pro Bowl. The QB was understandably disappointed when Pederson got fired and said he had a lot of respect and appreciation for what he did for him.
“It was disappointing, like I said, the way we finished. The coach came in my second year, and it was a mess here; we got a lot of stuff to do to get back on track as far as players, culture, and just energy,” Lawrence said during a recent episode of the “Up & Adams” podcast.
“It was different three years ago, and coach did a great job of coming in and being the guy we needed for the time. I have a lot of respect and appreciation for Coach Peterson, for what he’s done for me, and the belief he showed in me. He kind of helped me get the confidence back after a shaky first year.”
Lawrence further said he was surprised to hear about Pederson’s departure, and while he acknowledged that it is a results-oriented job, the 25-year-old made it clear that the coach wasn’t the only one to blame for the disappointing campaign.
“Everybody has their part, and everyone has to take the accountability,” Lawrence said. “But, yeah, I was. Surprise, I don’t know about surprise just because this is a results business, and it’s unfortunate how the season went, and they decided to move on from coach.”
Was Trevor Lawrence SURPRISED by Doug Pederson's firing?
"I don't know about surprised just cause this is a results business… but we still touched base afterwards and we're gonna stay in touch."@Trevorlawrencee @Jaguars @heykayadams | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/bMQrHwIv5p
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 17, 2025
The quarterback added that he “still touched base” afterward with Pederson and would continue to remain in touch with him.
Lawrence’s 2024 season ended when he was placed on injured reserve ahead of Week 14 following a brutal hit from Azeez Al-Shaair in Week 13. Also dealing with a non-throwing shoulder injury, it was a smart decision to shut him down with the Jaguars officially eliminated from playoff contention.
This was an ugly season for Lawrence, and it’s hard not to have major concerns about him at this point. He hasn’t graded above a C+ for an entire season through the first four years and has declined in each of the last two years.
Lawrence struggled when under pressure this season (33rd; -0.48) and ranks 37th converting on third downs (30.3%). His other numbers aren’t as bad, but the cumulative impact is that Lawrence’s grade is the second-worst of his career, ahead of just his rookie season.
While he had Pederson to bounce back from his rookie campaign, it remains to be seen how Lawrence progresses under new head coach Liam Coen.