Clemson football fans have followed the career of Tigers legend Trevor Lawrence closely since his playing days in Death Valley came to an end in 2020. Now, Lawrence's NFL team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, is looking for a new head coach after firing Doug Pederson on Monday.
This season, the Jags were just 4-13 and Pederson was only 22-29 in three seasons as head coach. Thus, the search is on for his replacement and most believe that the next head coach has one task, figure out how to unlock Lawrence's immense potential and transform him into one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Lawrence has had an uneven career in Jacksonville. However, he hasn't set the league on fire the way many believed he would when he arrived.
So far, Lawrence has had two 4,000-yard passing seasons (2022-23) and he was a Pro Bowl selection in 2022. This year, though, he took a step backward.
First of all, Lawrence missed seven games due to injury and on December 4th, he was put on injured reserve due to a concussion which prematurely ended his season. But even when he was on the field in 2024, he didn't play up to his potential.
His 60.6% completion percentage was his lowest since his rookie season. What's more, he had only 11 touchdowns with seven interceptions in 10 games played. Additionally, his 85.2 passer rating was his lowest outside of his rookie campaign.
Jacksonville is tied to Lawrence, though. In June, he signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension. The deal, which included $200 million in guaranteed money, pays Lawrence $55 million per year making him tied with Cincinatti's Joe Burrow for the second-highest-paid QB in the NFL behind Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys.
Therefore, the Jaguars must find a way to make Lawrence into an All-Pro quarterback if they want to compete for championships and get the most out of their financial investment. That's why most believe their next head coach will be an offensive guru.
Here are some candidates that Jacksonville should consider because each could help take Lawrence's game to the next level.
The most popular name in NFL head coaching circles is Ben Johnson, the current offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions. This season, the Lions had the No. 2 offense in the league in terms of yards per game and that is largely due to Johnson's work as a play-caller given that head coach Dan Campbell is more of a motivator than a strategic genius.
Also, with Johnson as his mentor, Detroit QB Jared Goff, also a former No. 1 overall pick, has gone from being considered a borderline bust to being a 2025 Pro Bowl selection. Perhaps Johnson's innovative scheme and his ability to put QBs in a position to succeed is exactly what Lawrence would need in order to do as Goff has and rise to the upper echelon of quarterbacks. However, Jacksonville will have to pay handsomely to lure Johnson out of Detroit and they may have to wait a long time to hire him if the Lions make a deep postseason run.
Another offensive coordinator who has worked with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL is Buffalo's Joe Brady. This season, his first as the full-time Buffalo O.C., he's helped QB Josh Allen become the odds-on favorite to win his first NFL MVP award.
Since Brady took over the Buffalo offense in November of 2023, the Bills are 20-6. What's more, this year, he's helped Allen cut down on his turnovers as Allen threw only six interceptions, the fewest of his career. However, Brady is only 35 years old and he's never been a head coach in the NFL or at the college level. Still, he is going to eventually get a shot to run an NFL team and maybe it will be in Jacksonville.
Another NFL offensive coordinator who has worked wonders with a QB reclamation project is Tampa Bay's Liam Coen. Under his guidance, QB Baker Mayfield (yet another No. 1 overall pick) has gone from being a journeyman and a bust to one of the most productive passers in the game.
This year, Mayfield threw for 4,500 yards with 41 touchdowns and 16 picks in the best statistical season of his career. What's more, he completed an astonishing 71.4% of his passes. Coen also has no head coaching experience at any level of the sport so the 39-year-old is no sure-fire bet but given what he's done for Mayfield, he'd be worth a look from Jacksonville.
An offensive coordinator who has a lot more seasoning in the game is Baltimore's Todd Monken. The 58-year-old has been the Baltimore Ravens O.C. for the last two seasons and he's coaxed the best out of superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson.
It could be argued that no QB in the NFL was better in 2024 than Jackson. He threw for 4,172 yards and 41 TDs with only four touchdowns to put himself in the MVP conversation again. What's more, in Monken's offense, the Baltimore ground game was excellent with veteran running back Derrick Henry experiencing a career renaissance by rushing for 1,921 yards, the second-most of his fantastic career. A ground game like that could be a true blessing for Lawrence in Jacksonville.
Finally, if Jacksonville wants a proven head coach, perhaps Mike McCarthy, whose contract with the Dallas Cowboys will expire on January 14, could be an option (assuming that he doesn't return to Dallas). While he might not be as sexy of a name as one of the above offensive coordinators, it is hard to argue with his long-time success in the league.
In addition to winning Super Bowl XLV with Green Bay, McCarthy has a .608 winning percentage in the NFL. Though his team in Dallas was just 7-10 this year due in large part to injuries, he's made current Dallas QB Dak Prescott into the best player that he's been as a professional. Also, McCarthy helped mold Aaron Rogers into a future Hall of Fame inductee during their time together in Green Bay. If McCarthy explores his options, Jacksonville would be wise to at least kick the tires given that he's one of the most proven commodities on the open market this offseason.