JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – This season hasn’t been the NFL career kickoff that Jaguars fans — or quarterback Trevor Lawrence himself — were hoping for.
“You just do what you can do and that’s just keep going every day and get better,” Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, said Wednesday. “You just keep plugging away and keep being the same person. I think in the long run that ultimately wins. Being the same and consistency, I’ve always believed in that.”
The 22-year-old told reporters that the team needs consistency and to avoid drama off the field and instead focus on winning games.
“You can’t always be in the headlines, you just got to go play football, and that’s where we are trying to get. I have no doubt we will get there,” Lawrence said.
That was just hours before the bombshell announcement that the franchise was dropping first-year Urban Meyer before the conclusion of the season.
Lawrence said he found out about Meyer’s firing when he woke up Thursday morning and saw the news online. Despite the tumultuous season and a head coach change, Lawrence doubled down on his optimism.
“Obviously, this year, I wouldn’t have believed it if you told me this was how this year was going to go. But, you know, I’ve still learned a lot and I still feel that way. Me and Marissa have come to love Jacksonville, and that’s our plan. Let’s go turn this thing around, let’s become a winner, let’s win some games, and I have full faith in that still,” Lawrence said.
Season ticket holder Lee-Ann Fink and her family have followed Lawrence’s career closely ever since his time at Clemson.
“As soon as Jacksonville picked Trevor Lawrence as the No. 1 pick, we went right on the site and purchased tickets right away. We were very excited that he was coming so close to home,” Fink said. “We’re optimistic that with new changes, Trevor will be able to meet his potential and hopefully next season, take our Jags a little further.”
Though the team has been held to just 2-11 so far this season, many fans place very little of that blame on Lawrence, who they say still needs development to be a force in the NFL.
“The right coach can make the difference between winning and losing season. So, hopefully, you know, a good marriage between the right coach and Trevor Lawrence. You know, we’ll see some different results next year,” Fink said.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry told News4JAX that Lawrence remains one of the team’s most-valuable assets regardless of who occupies the head coaching position.
“All you can do is turn the page and move on to the next chapter,” he said. “We’ve got a great quarterback, should be a franchise quarterback. You need the right people around him to develop him. Frankly, I’m excited about the future.”'
Lawrence signed a four-year, $36.8 million deal, including a $24.1 million signing bonus in July.
Merchandise sales skyrocketed with the hype surrounding Lawrence earlier this year. According to the online sports retail company Fanatics, the 2021 draft experienced the highest-selling first round in league history. Lawrence merch sold twice what Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s did — who was the previous year’s overall No. 1 pick.