The Jacksonville Jaguars emerged as one of the more positive surprises of the 2025 NFL season under first-year head coach Liam Coen, as the Jaguars went 13-4 before they suffered a brutal 27-24 wild-card playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. and Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence have been teammates since their days together at Clemson. While speaking with reporters on Monday, Etienne offered a humorous response when asked how Lawrence can build upon his first season with Coen.
Do Jaguars need a more “cocky” Trevor Lawrence in 2026?
“I would say the biggest thing for him is just let his n— hang, I guess,” Etienne said about Lawrence, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “Just be cocky. Stop caring what people think. Just don’t give a damn, you’re the man. Just go out there, be yourself, make plays and just play fearlessly with reckless abandon.”
Pro Football Reference stats show that Lawrence ended his first regular season in Coen’s offense ranked 17th in the NFL among qualified players with a 58.3 adjusted QBR, fifth with 29 passing touchdowns and sixth with 4,007 passing yards.
Against the Bills, Lawrence connected with Etienne for a go-ahead touchdown pass with roughly four minutes remaining in the contest. However, Lawrence’s final pass of the season was picked off.
Travis Etienne Jr. wants to be part of Trevor Lawrence’s ongoing growth
Etienne is among some noteworthy Jacksonville players who are on track to become unrestricted free agents when the new league year opens in March. As John Oehser shared for the Jaguars’ website, Etienne said on Monday he would like to stay with the club that selected him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
“I’m just grateful to be a part of a standard that has been set here,” Etienne added. “It’s a standard that’s set, and just for the guys who will be here in the future, they have something to follow now. I’m just proud of that and grateful I was able to be a part of that journey.”
It remains to be seen if Etienne and Lawrence will continue their pro journeys together.
This content was brought to you by: Yardbarker: NFL
