The Jaguars wrapped up training camp with Trevor Lawrence looking like a quarterback who’s settling in at just the right time.
Jacksonville closed the final day with a joint practice against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the team kept things limited to 7-on-7 work in an effort to steer clear of major injuries before the regular season. The intensity was lower than the Aug. 25 session, but there was still a clear purpose to the day - and Lawrence made it count.
He finished the practice unofficially 13-of-17 with three touchdowns and an interception against Tampa Bay, following a 16-of-28 day the day before. It was the latest sign that his last competitive reps before the season opener came with some momentum attached.
The Jaguars won’t see him in the preseason finale against the Buccaneers on Aug. 28, meaning he’ll go into the season without appearing in any preseason games before Jacksonville hosts the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 13.
“I think making completions, all those things that I wanted to work on, I think I did a better job over the last week or so," Lawrence said after practice finished. "Creating off-schedule, and being smart with the football. All those things are things that I do well, but I also need to work on".
Lawrence has said before that sitting out the preseason doesn’t bother him because he’s treating every rep with seriousness, but the bigger question hanging over camp has been simple: can a quarterback go that long without a live snap and still hit the ground running?
By the end of camp, Lawrence seemed comfortable with where things stood. He pointed to the work he put in over the summer and the shorter learning curve that came with already having a base in Coen’s system from last season. That let him focus more sharply on the areas Jacksonville wanted to improve.
One of the biggest priorities was getting Lawrence and Brian Thomas Jr. moving in sync. That connection never fully clicked last year, and the Jaguars’ downfield passing game suffered for it. This offseason, that relationship was pushed from the start, and it showed during camp - especially in the first joint practice, when Lawrence hit Thomas on a deep ball as the receiver slipped behind Tampa Bay’s defense.
That kind of play was missing from Jacksonville’s offense last season, and it gives the unit another layer if it shows up consistently.
“I feel like I found a little bit of a groove the last week or so. Every day wasn't my best,” Lawrence said. “It can be frustrating because you want the result, but just taking a step back and using it, that's what we talk about in our room all the time is the practice is only as good as what you learn from it, whether it's good or bad.”
For Lawrence, camp wasn’t spotless, but it tilted heavily toward the positive. Even when Jacksonville’s defense had the upper hand, he stayed steady. And when he was sharp, he looked like a quarterback fully comfortable inside the system.
He spread the ball around, stayed after practice to keep working on routes, and kept building chemistry with the rest of the offense. Parker Washington emerged as a bigger factor.
Jakobi Meyers continued the progress he made with Lawrence last season. Brenton Strange became a dependable outlet.
Even rookies CJ Williams and Josh Cameron started to trend upward as camp went on.
With the opener creeping closer, Lawrence said the challenge now is balancing how much the Jaguars have accomplished with how much still needs to be cleaned up before Week 1.
“We got two weeks, less than two weeks before we're preparing to play Cleveland, but we play in basically two weeks,” he said. “That sounds crazy thinking about it and just realizing how close it is. How far we've come, but still how much work we have to do to get ready for Week 1.”
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