Dismissing poor offseason grades and skeptics, the star quarterback says the team is only concerned with meeting its own expectations.
There has been a lot of talk about the Jacksonville Jaguars all offseason.
And, not the kind of talk one would expect about a team that won 13 games a year ago, has an MVP candidate quarterback, and a defense that was tops in the NFL against the run last season, either.
Instead of being talked about as an ascending team with Super Bowl potential, the Jaguars have mostly been criticized for an underwhelming offseason and expected to come up short in their bid to repeat as AFC South champions.
Even after a 13-4 season, most prediction models have Jacksonville finishing with around nine wins in 2026. While they are still thought of as a likely playoff team, the Jaguars are expected to take a step back this season.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, whose stellar play in 2025 was the major catalyst for the Jaguars' great season, isn't paying attention to what is being said by those outside the building.
Speaking with Evan Washburn of CBS Sports, Lawrence talked about the Jaguars ignoring the outside noise and just focusing on getting better.
Internal Expectations
The Jaguars aren't affected by what outsiders think of them, positively or negatively, according to Lawrence. That's because the team has its own internal expectations, and the Jaguars are determined to meet them.
“We have internal expectations for ourselves because we have a high standard that we want to play to...We know what we need to do to get better, and we have that high standard for ourself and those expectations, not the ones on the outside." Lawrence told Washburn.
Lawrence wasn't just talking about brushing off the negative talk his team has received over the past several months. Even the people who have high expectations for Jacksonville this season aren't making the team believe its own hype, though Lawrence does acknowledge that expectations come from previous success.
"You know, I think that means you're doing something right if there is some level of expectations around your team. You know, that means you've done something in the past that's gotten you into a position to where people expect you to be good."
Lawrence also touched on the lack of respect given to his team or his city, saying "people are gonna say whatever they want to say," and both the Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville "won't ever get the respect."
However, Lawrence said the team isn't worried about what others think of them. He talked about who the team strives to impress, and it's not the outsiders.
"It's not about that, it's about the people in this building, our fanbase. That's who we do it for. You can't listen to the outside too much."
Final Thoughts
Head coach Liam Coen has done a great job getting his players to focus on the task at hand and not pay attention to the outside noise.
Whether it's someone with high expectations for the team or someone who expects the Jaguars to be a one-year wonder, Lawrence and his teammates have been able to tune it out and are only concentrating on improving.
Nobody from outside the building is going to change what the team expects from itself this season. The Jaguars have their own goals and are focused on achieving them.
Just because outsiders have been talking doesn't mean Lawrence and the rest of the Jaguars have been listening.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
