Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is maintaining a composed outlook despite the recent training camp challenges involving Trevor Lawrence’s injury and wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.’s health concerns. As the Jaguars prepare for the 2025 NFL season, these setbacks cast uncertainty on the development of the team‘s offense, with Coen emphasizing patience and process over panic. The focus on managing Trevor Lawrence’s injury and adjusting to missing key reps highlights the precarious situation for Jacksonville’s future success.
Since taking over as the Jaguars’ head coach earlier this year, Liam Coen’s mission has been to stabilize a team plagued by inconsistency, especially concerning quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Coen made it clear from the outset that his goal was not immediate spectacle, but functional progress.
“We’ve got to build it around him (Trevor),”
he said at the time. His approach was designed to restore confidence in Lawrence, whose previous seasons included promising moments marred by late-game collapses and noticeable regression. Coen’s arrival was about resetting expectations rather than chasing headlines, which makes the current injury setbacks and training camp difficulties particularly telling for the franchise’s direction.
Concerns over Lawrence’s health have intensified this week as the quarterback has been limited due to what the team describes as minor shoulder tightness. Lawrence has not participated in full-team drill sessions throughout the week, raising questions about how soon he will regain full capability to lead the offense. While the coaching staff frames this as a precautionary measure, the offense noticeably lacked rhythm during a Tuesday session without Lawrence’s presence, noticeably affecting timing and execution.
Adding to the Jaguars’ challenges, rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., brought in to fill the deep-threat role vacated by Calvin Ridley, sustained a bruised right shoulder during a red-zone route at minicamp. Though the injury is not considered serious, it disrupts the developing chemistry him and Lawrence were trying to build. Thomas was off to a strong start in practice, but this injury pause threatens to delay the implementation of Coen’s offensive schemes during a critical early stage.
Coen’s measured response to training camp errors signals focus on growth over instant results
Despite the setbacks and dropped passes during Tuesday’s training session, Coen rejected the notion that the day’s performance was bad. When asked about rookie Brian Thomas Jr.’s struggles, including multiple contested drops and his eventual limp from injury, Coen responded without frustration.
“I don’t necessarily think it was a bad day,”
he said, before adding,
“We got a ton of opportunities to make plays… We just didn’t make ’em.”
His calm assessment avoided blame and instead underscored that the Jaguars are still in the process of building cohesion.
Coen’s focus on accountability rather than perfection is evident in how he highlighted positives despite miscues. He pointed to flashes of success in the running game and praised the team for targeting the correct receivers throughout drills. This steady evaluation approach contrasts sharply with the culture of turmoil that many fans associate with Jacksonville’s recent seasons. Instead of harshly criticizing mistakes, Coen’s messaging encourages simple execution:
“We gotta go make those plays,”
he insisted repeatedly, emphasizing personal responsibility over scapegoating.
This outlook is not driven by optimism alone; it is rooted in Coen’s prior success. As the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024, Coen’s unit ranked fourth in the NFL for points per game, even after losing star wideout Chris Godwin Jr. midway through the season. His capacity to adjust in real time, without abandoning the process after subpar moments, earned him the Jacksonville head coaching position. Coen is applying the same philosophy now, signaling that early training camp struggles and minor injuries will not define the Jaguars’ entire season.
Training camp disruptions threaten timeline for Jaguars’ development under Coen
While Coen stresses patience, the impact of Trevor Lawrence’s extended absence from team throws and Brian Thomas Jr.’s injury cannot be overlooked. Lawrence, the first overall selection in 2021, showed signs of regression last season, notably in his decision-making in red-zone situations and under pressure. The hope was that a new offensive system under Coen would correct those flaws. Instead, the physical setback and limited practice reps present new obstacles that could slow this progression.
The limited reps mean that the chemistry between Lawrence and Thomas remains tentative at best. Thomas was expected to add much-needed speed and vertical threat capability—a key element in Coen’s offense. Missing game-like repetitions together delays their synchronization and risks dampening the effectiveness of Jacksonville’s passing game. It also signals a tougher preseason, adding pressure to a squad already navigating the <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/category/football/nfl/afc/”>AFC South’s competitive environment.
Coen has expressed that training camp is not the time for crisis, instead framing it as a period to build smaller, tangible confidence.
“It’s about instilling confidence in small moments,”
he said back in May when asked about coaching through challenges. If Lawrence’s shoulder improves in the coming week and Thomas can return without setbacks, the temporary hold on progress will seem like a manageable bump. But if the tightness lingers or the rookie misses more time, the Jaguars face a difficult preseason and a slowed adjustment to Coen’s system, which would mark Lawrence’s third play-caller in five seasons.
Adjusting offensive strategies to match current limitations amid persistent uncertainties
Despite these challenges, Coen’s offensive philosophy is not dependent on individual heroics. Instead, it is structured around timing, progression, and simplifying reads for quarterbacks who can quickly process information. Even during last season’s regression, Lawrence excelled at mid-range throws and layered routes—elements that help ease pressure when deeper vertical targets are unavailable. Should Thomas remain limited in participation, the staff will likely emphasize these safer, more controlled passing concepts to maintain productivity.
The stakes are high for the Jaguars as their aspirations this year hinge on Lawrence’s health and timely development under a fresh play-caller, and any delay could amplify an already uneasy situation. Coen’s calm demeanor, while steadying, can only do so much against the looming pressures of a loaded AFC South division and the impatient eyes of the fanbase hoping for a breakthrough. Whether his pragmatic approach can ultimately redirect the franchise path or if it merely postpones deeper struggles will unfold in the coming weeks of the preseason.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. What is Trevor Lawrence’s condition?
A. Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will take it easy during spring as he heals from surgery on his left shoulder’s AC joint. He is expected to be completely ready by the start of training camp.
Q. What is Trevor Lawrence’s sack rate?
A. Based on data from Pro Football Focus, Lawrence had his best year in 2021 with a 14.5% rate of pressure turning into sacks, ranking sixth. In 2022, his rate was 14.6%, ranking him fifth. By 2023, it rose to 18.4%, dropping him to 18th place, and in 2024, it increased to 20.0%, placing him 17th. Each year, his skill in dodging sacks has slowly declined.
Q. Did Trevor Lawrence suffer a brain injury?
A. On Tuesday, Lawrence had surgery to fix a sprain in his left shoulder. Engram had surgery on Monday for a torn labrum in the same shoulder. Pederson mentioned that both surgeries were successful. “Everything went well for both players, and now, we focus on their recovery,” Pederson said.
Q. Why did they pay Trevor Lawrence so much?
A. The Jaguars aren’t just paying him for his past performance. They believe he’ll continue to play well and push the team towards winning a Super Bowl. This is especially true as he gains more experience with coach Doug Pederson’s strategies.