Trevor Lawrence gave the Jaguars a scare on the final day of training camp, and not because of anything he did with the ball.
During joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Lawrence jumped into the middle of a scuffle while trying to break it up and ended up holding back Bucs linebacker Alex Anzalone. It was the kind of moment that makes teammates wince before they even process what happened.
Jaguars center Robert Hainsey said he and left tackle Anton Harrison both immediately wanted Lawrence out of harm’s way.
"I saw him grab someone and lost my fricking mind. Me and Anton (Harrison) were like 'dude get out of here.
What are you doing?' But credit to him.
That's who he is. He loves his teammates, like the rest of us.
It's what it's about. We are going to fight for each other no matter what," Hainsey said during media availability.
For Jacksonville, that reaction makes sense. Lawrence has been the difference between the Jaguars looking like a real threat and looking like a team trying to survive without its quarterback.
Hainsey doesn’t want anyone else under center, and Harrison doesn’t want to protect anyone else’s blindside. No slight intended toward backup Nick Mullens, who wasn’t around during those lean stretches two seasons ago.
The concern is easy to understand because Lawrence already dealt with a brutal stretch in 2024, when he missed seven games because of a shoulder injury and a concussion. Last season, though, he stayed on the field for every game, and Jacksonville finished 13-4 with him available. The Jaguars went 2-5 in the games he missed.
That’s why a practice scuffle felt bigger than it probably should have. Nobody in Jacksonville wants to see their franchise quarterback get nicked up while acting as the peacekeeper in late August.
Fortunately, the scare passed without turning into anything more serious.
Lawrence also did what he’s been doing all camp against Tampa Bay: playing well. The Buccaneers had a rebuilt linebacker group after Lavonte David retired in March and a young secondary that no longer includes veteran corner Jamel Dean, who is now with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Lawrence still looked comfortable.
He threw an interception to rookie Josiah Trotter in the first 7-on-7 period, but after that he settled in and finished 13 of 17 in both sessions. One of those completions was a touchdown to Parker Washington, and in the second session he connected with seven different receivers on seven completions.
That followed a strong 2025 season from Lawrence, when he posted 4,007 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 61% of his throws. PFF ranked him with the best overall quarterback grade from Week 13 through the end of the regular season at 92.6, along with the seventh-best passing grade.
So the takeaway from Wednesday was simple enough: the Jaguars can live with an interception in practice. They cannot afford to lose Lawrence while he’s trying to play hero.
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Pompei went so far as to suggest the Bucs could clear an eight-win expectation, and the reasoning behind that outlook is becoming easier to follow. Rookie Rueben Bain Jr. adds another layer of intrigue, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson gives the offense a different feel, and Baker Mayfield enters the season with plenty of motivation after the way things unfolded a year ago. For a team that was being written off not long ago, that kind of quiet momentum has made Tampa Bay one of the more interesting debates in the league. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield Just Reopened A Buccaneers Question Fans Know Too Well
The Buccaneers joint practice with the Jaguars ahead of the preseason finale offered a familiar backdrop for Tampa Bay fans, with Baker Mayfield taking a moment to revisit one of the more meaningful coaching relationships of his recent run. Mayfield spoke highly of Liam Coen, his former offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay and now the Jaguars head coach, pointing to Coens adaptability and the way he communicates with quarterbacks. It was the kind of reminder that can make a practice field feel a little more like a reunion, even with the season still ahead.
For the Buccaneers, though, it also nudged open a question they know well: what exactly did Coens arrival mean for Mayfields game, and how much of that success followed him out of Tampa Bay? Coen has since helped both Mayfield and Trevor Lawrence turn in strong performances in recent seasons, giving his rsum a broader reach and keeping his name in the same conversation whenever quarterback development comes up. For a team that has already moved on, the connection is still hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Rookie LB Is Forcing His Way Into A Bigger Role
Josiah Trotter has kept turning heads throughout Buccaneers training camp, and his play in the joint practices has only strengthened the case that he belongs in a much larger role right away. The rookie inside linebacker has flashed as a run stopper, as a blitzer and in coverage, giving Tampa Bay a look at a player who seems comfortable doing just about everything asked of him.
The buzz picked up even more after he intercepted a Trevor Lawrence pass during work against the Jaguars, the kind of play that tends to stick with a coaching staff. Todd Bowles has already praised Trotters instincts and football intelligence, and with injuries thinning the linebacker room, the path is opening for him to line up next to Alex Anzalone and handle an every-down workload sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]