(Jacksonville) Quarterback Trevor Lawrence autographed jerseys, helmets and posters for his teammates Monday before going on a long break.
He left his locker in the locker room in immaculate condition.
And he is ready to take another step.
Lawrence is aware that things will change when the Jacksonville Jaguars meet again in three months, but he remains confident that the core of players in place will remain intact and will allow the Jags to aspire to the playoffs on a regular basis over the next few months. seasons.
“We’ve set our expectations high, and we won’t settle for less,” Lawrence said two days after a 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. We obviously haven’t reached our full potential yet, but we can’t wait to try our luck again. »
The Jaguars (10-9) finished the campaign with seven wins in their last nine regular season games, a streak in which they savored six straight wins – including three coming from behind to win against the Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers.
They won the AFC Southern title for the first time since 2017, tied a mark with eight consecutive wins from being considered the underdog, and orchestrated the third-most winning comeback in NFL history by erasing a 27-point deficit to upset the Chargers in the playoffs.
Along the way, they also became the first team to win a playoff game after posting the Goodell League’s worst record the previous season.
Their run ended against the American favorites, the Chiefs, but the Jaguars remain convinced that they are on the verge of accomplishing something remarkable.
“It feels like a window of opportunity has just opened, and you have to strike while the iron is hot,” Jags head coach Doug Pederson said. And we have to take advantage of this chance with the guys who are in place, by signing a few free agents, and by selecting promising prospects in the next draft. We have to manage to do well in each of these aspects, in order to improve the team even further. »