The Jaguars, after winning the AFC South title in 2022, started the 2023 season 8-3 and have lost 18 of 23 games since.
Lawrence also on Thursday spoke positively of Pederson, the Jaguars’ head coach for three of Lawrence’s four professional seasons.
“I’m very grateful for coach and what he’s done here and done for me,” Lawrence said. “My rookie year was really tough and a lot of chaos and turmoil and just a really crazy situation and for him to come in and provide stability and to kind of revive our team a little bit and be that consistent and voice for us … I don’t want that to be overshadowed by a tough and disappointing finish.”
Lawrence described his reaction to Pederson’s departure as a combination of disappointment and a realization that the NFL is a business.
“As a player, you understand that’s part of the business, but you’re also disappointed and you feel some responsibility because as a player, you have impact on the game,” Lawrence said. “It’s on us as well. It’s unfortunate, is the best way to put it. You feel like you wish you could have done more, and you wish you would have won more games.
“If you asked any of us going into this season, no one would have thought Coach Pederson would have been fired at the end of the year. You see the way the year went, and it’s just disappointing. It’s a weird feeling, but you do understand it’s part of the business. You just have to continue to get better, and for whatever reason this year, we didn’t do that.
“There are a lot of a lot of things at play regarding that. It’s not all just on one person.”
Lawrence on Thursday also was asked if he wanted input on Pederson’s replacement, saying, “My job is to prepare myself to play really well and to win games and be on the field.”
“I don’t want to ever cross any boundaries and try to do more than my job if that’s not wanted or needed,” he said. “Of course, I have opinions. I’ve…
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