Trevor Lawrence shares what Doug Pederson has done for his development

Trevor Lawrence and Doug Pederson have quickly emerged as one of the best quarterback-head coach partnerships in the NFL.

In their first year together, the duo led the Jacksonville Jaguars to an 9-8 record and the franchise’s first playoff appearance and win since 2017. Jacksonville’s success came one season removed from the abject failure of a head coaching tenure from Urban Meyer, whose NFL career lasted all but 13 games and ended clouded in multiple controversies.

So, just how did the 2021 No. 1 overall pick and 2018 Super Bowl champion get it going so quick? Lawrence broke it down in depth during a recent appearance on “The Pivot Podcast,” saying that Pederson provided a sense of calmness even during a five-game losing streak which threatened to derail their season.

“He’s been such a steady voice for me,” Lawrence said. “I always talk about this story — we lost five games in-a-row last year by one score or less. That was when I think we started 2-1, we lost the first game of the year, we won two in-a-row, two pretty impressive wins. I thought we were over the hump, we’re going to start rolling. And then we lost five straight by one score. And every week it didn’t matter, even after that fifth one, he was the same every day. Every meeting after the game, Monday morning, whatever it was, he never changed.

“I think that’s what helped us propel past that and end up finishing the season so strong is because we look at our leader and he’s not changing. So why would we? He’s seen it all, he’s had success, had rough years as well. For him to just be the same every day, I think that’s something I admire and that’s how I try to carry myself. To see that from him, it makes it even easier for me to carry myself that way.”

Trevor Lawrence gaining confidence as he enters third season in the NFL

After pacing the NFL with 17 interceptions in 2021, Lawrence took the next step in his development in 2022. The former Clemson Tiger threw for 4,113 yards with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions on 66.3% passing, earning the first Pro Bowl appearance of his career.

Now heading into year three, Pederson believes his confidence will only grow.

“I think about some of the young quarterbacks I’ve had and going into year two with us,” Pederson recently said. “That’s what you’ve seen. You’ve seen that confidence level increase, the understanding of the offense, and the dialogue that we have between Trevor and myself or Trevor and [offensive coordinator Press Taylor], Trevor and [quarterbacks coach] Mike McCoy, just the openness. That comes with maturity, and that comes with the confidence he has. Not only his ability, but also with understanding where he is within the system.

“It’s fun to be around guys like that and young quarterbacks like that, again, as we’ve said, he’s a sponge. He wants to learn. He wants to get better. Obviously, he’s not where he wants to be or where we want him to be because we can always get better and improve. I think his overall leadership ability has really been the bright spot for him heading into training camp this year.”