Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is the consensus favorite to win the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award this upcoming season. No surprise here, as the highly-touted Clemson product has long been considered the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck.
But the Jaguars, mired in mediocrity, are nowhere close to resembling a perennial playoff contender. And JR fears that the franchise's losing culture will hinder Lawrence's ability to develop into a superstar.
"I think when you look at Trevor Lawrence, if there's anything that's holding him back, it's the franchise. It's the organization," JR said Tuesday's edition of the JR SportBrief show. "Trevor Lawrence isn't getting rid of the football at the speed that he should. Trevor Lawrence is tentative to let go of the ball. And yes, those are adjustments that he'll make as he continues to grow as a pro.
"But ultimately, the Jaguars -- realistically -- might be the thing setting him up for failure. And likely, most definitely, holding back his development. And this isn't something I'm drawing on preseason -- this is just the facts. This is brand new for everybody. And unfortunately, Trevor Lawrence, welcome to the NFL. The bad news? It's with the Jaguars..."
Through two preseason games, Lawrence has completed 20 of 32 passes for 184 yards with no touchdowns, no interceptions, and one fumble. While these numbers aren't discouraging, the Jaguars' first-string offense has only scored three points -- that's right, three -- in the first three quarters of both games.
To make matters worse, Jaguars rookie running back Travis Etienne will miss the entire season due to a foot injury suffered in Monday night's 23-21 loss against the New Orleans Saints. Etienne, who was selected 25th overall by Jacksonville this spring, was placed on injury reserve Tuesday, and will need to undergo surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury.
The Jaguars will open the 2021 regular season in Houston against the Texans on Sept. 12. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, Jacksonville currently has the third-best odds (+800) to win the AFC South.
JR's complete thoughts on Lawrence and the Jaguars can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the JR SportBrief show on Twitter @JRSportBrief and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.