The Jacksonville Jaguars had a major turnaround in 2025, with head coach Liam Coen taking a 4-13 team and leading them to an AFC South title and a 13-4 record.
While Coen, along with general manager James Gladstone, offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, revitalized the entire team, there was one player in particular who seemed to benefit the most from Coen.
Trevor Lawrence was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Coming out of college, he was lauded as a generational talent, and there were high expectations for what he would accomplish in Jacksonville. Yet while he has had flashes of greatness, he has also had to deal with constant upheaval, with frequent changes to coaching staff and offensive schemes. Under Coen, that changed. Lawrence finally performed like the elite QB he had been expected to be.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Coen-Lawrence pairing was recently ranked by SI.com in the top 10 of all head coach-quarterback duos heading into the 2026 NFL season, coming in at No. 8. As Matt Verdarame wrote:
Coen came to Jacksonville after stints with the Rams and Buccaneers, and immediately oversaw a nine-win improvement for the Jaguars. Along with the hire of first-time defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, Jacksonville was second in EPA per pass against (-0.21)—perhaps most impressive was the ascension of Lawrence, who threw for 4,007 yards and 29 touchdowns last season.
Lawrence started slow but got comfortable in Coen’s scheme as the year went on, tossing 15 touchdowns against one interception over Jacksonville’s final six regular-season games. If he can continue playing anywhere near that pace in 2026, the Jaguars are Super Bowl contenders.
Both Coen and Lawrence finished the 2025 season with major recognition; Coen was nominated for Coach of the Year, and only narrowly lost, while Lawrence was nominated for league MVP. As Lawrence’s comfort within Coen’s offense grew as last season progressed, he put up impressive production, while the offense put up a lot of points.
Of course, that means expectations will be high heading into 2026, with analysts looking for Coen and Lawrence to not only repeat their success but also improve upon it. But considering Lawrence will have had another full offseason operating in Coen’s offensive scheme, odds are good that the Coen-Lawrence duo will continue to impress.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars Liam Coen, Trevor Lawrence ranked among NFL’s best HC-QB duos
Reporting by Casandra Chesser, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
