Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence produced the best season of his NFL career in 2025.
It still was not enough to convince NFL evaluators that he belongs among the league’s 10 best quarterbacks.
Lawrence received an honorable mention in ESPN’s quarterback rankings for 2026, which were determined through conversations with more than 70 league executives, coaches and scouts.
The ranking placed Lawrence behind Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, who earned the final position in the top 10 following a tiebreaking process.
Lawrence’s placement leaves the Jaguars with a familiar question entering the 2026 season.
How much more does their franchise quarterback need to prove?
Lawrence’s Breakout Was Not Enough
Lawrence passed for 4,007 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions during his first season in Liam Coen’s offense. He added nine rushing touchdowns, giving him a franchise-record 38 total scores.
PFF credited him with an 82.8 overall grade, ranking 10th among qualifying quarterbacks. His 2.0% turnover-worthy play rate ranked seventh, while his 74.6 passing grade under pressure ranked ninth, via PFF’s 2025 quarterback grades.
The improvement helped the Jacksonville Jaguars finish 13-4, win the AFC South and return to the playoffs after going 4-13 one year earlier.
Lawrence also finished fifth in Associated Press MVP voting.
The team success and individual production changed how the league and fans view him. Lawrence entered last season facing questions about his development, availability and ability to justify the five-year, $275 million extension he signed in 2024.
He responded with career highs in passing touchdowns and total touchdowns while starting all 17 regular-season games.
The strongest stretch came at the end of the season.
Lawrence threw 11 touchdown passes and one interception over Jacksonville’s final four regular-season games, surpassing 250 passing yards in each appearance, via NFL.com.
That finish felt like legitimate breakthrough for Lawrence, even though league evaluators stopped short of elevating Lawrence into the top 10.
Jaguars QB Still Faces One Lingering Question
The comments ESPN received about Lawrence were largely positive.
One veteran offensive coach credited him with improving his understanding of defensive coverages, controlling turnovers and recognizing the answers available within Coen’s offense.
That praise also revealed the hesitation surrounding Lawrence.
Evaluators appear to believe that Coen’s structure played a significant role in the quarterback’s improvement. The offense gave Lawrence cleaner pre-snap solutions and allowed him to play faster after several uneven seasons.
Having a coherent coach should not diminish what Lawrence accomplished, but his next test will be showing that the success can continue now that opponents have a full season of film on Jacksonville’s system.
Coen has already seen signs of further progress.
He praised Lawrence’s calmness and command during the team’s offseason program, while Lawrence said he feels more comfortable entering his second year in the scheme, per Jaguars.com.
Lawrence no longer needs to prove that he can lead the Jaguars to a winning season. He accomplished that twice over the past four years.
Nonetheless, breaking into the league’s top tier will require Lawrence to repeat his 2025 production, in addition to maintaining his late-season efficiency to show that Jacksonville’s offense can continue evolving around him when it matters most.
The NFL has acknowledged his progress.
It has yet to fully buy in.
Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence Misses Spot in NFL Rankings