Where Does Sports Illustrated Rank Doug Pederson and Trevor Lawrence Among Duos?

The Jacksonville Jaguars' duo ranks inside the top-15 among head coach/quarterback duos.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) and head coach Doug Pederson look on from the sideline during the first quarter of a NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-9. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA

While there are a never-ending series of moving pieces that make or break a good NFL team, there is no question how much revolves around two figures: the head coach and the starting quarterback.

The Jaguars made such an arraignment their top priority in 2022 when they hired former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson to replace Urban Meyer. Pederson had done wonders with Carson Wentz and Nick Foles with the Eagles, and his experience as a quarterback and play-caller made him an ideal fit with Trevor Lawrence after a bumpy rookie season.

The duo of Pederson and Lawrence led the Jaguars to a 9-8 AFC South crown and a playoff win against the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022. This created high expectations in 2023 that the Jaguars seemed destined to meet after an 8-3 start, but injuries took their toll on Lawrence, Christian Kirk, and several other key starters down the stretch. This led to a 1-5 record over the final six weeks, forcing the Jaguars to miss the playoffs.

As things stand today, there is still clearly optimism around the duo that ended the 2022 on a hot run. In a ranking of the top head coach/quarterback duos in the NFL, Sports Illustrated ranked the duo of Pederson and Lawrence as No. 12 in the NFL. The Jaguars ranked second in the AFC South, behind the No. 4 ranked Houston Texans.

Last November, the Jaguars were 8–3 and the AFC’s top seed. Then, they collapsed and missed the postseason entirely. Now, the pressure is on Pederson and Lawrence to make Jacksonville contenders once more. Lawrence needs to step up after struggling to produce, amassing just 4,016 yards with 21 touchdowns against 14 interceptions.

- Matt Verderame, Sports Illustrated

"Yeah, physical we know about. We got to keep him healthy. Mentally, number one, I think the way he leads this football team. He's becoming the vocal leader in the locker room, on the field, in meetings. He's engaging," Pederson said about Lawrence on Tuesday before OTA No. 4.

"When we got him three years ago, he was just learning our system and kind of quiet and just trying to go through the motions a little bit of just trying to adapt to us and get a feel for us. Now he's engaging and giving us ideas. Now he's giving us suggestions and ideas and really becoming another coach, a set of eyes on the field. That's just his growth, that is his development as a quarterback and not changing a lot schematically. Repetition goes a long way, and utilizing that repetition to benefit your football team. That's where Trevor has really taken the next step. Now, it's got to translate on the field, right, into wins and losses and touchdowns versus INTs. But that's where I've seen the biggest growth in the few years that we've been together."