The Jacksonville Jaguars open their 2021 NFL season on Sunday, September 12, 2021 at Houston against the Texans.
These are two beleaguered franchises that have suffered a lot in recent years.
However, the Jaguars have a new coach in Urban Meyer and the first overall pick of the NFL Draft, Trevor Lawrence.
The rookie Lawrence is making his mark early; he was one of seven Jaguars players recently named a team captain.
Zach Wilson and Trevor Lawrence were voted captains of their respective teams.
Rookie QBs are already leaders 💯 pic.twitter.com/NMhnQfD3z5
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) September 9, 2021
In the past two years, three rookie quarterbacks have been named captains of their teams.
In 2021, they are Lawrence and Zach Wilson of the New York Jets, and in 2020, Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals was voted a team captain.
Lawrence’s designation became official when Meyer presented him and the other six players with teal jerseys with a C sewn on the front.
Upon learning the news, Lawrence said:
“It was great. It’s a really cool feeling, especially as a younger guy just having that support from my teammates. Being named a starter and now a captain, nothing changes. Same expectation and now it’s time to go out there and win some games….But I’m really excited. It’s definitely an honor. It’s a cool moment for me to be named a captain with those other guys, just a bunch of great guys in the locker room. We had a ton of guys that got votes but definitely really cool.”
Meyer confirmed that Lawrence was the third-highest vote getter of the seven players, impressive for a rookie.
The Jags were correct in naming Lawrence a team captain, and here is why.
He Is A Winner
Lawrence has been winning championships since high school.
He won two high school state titles and a national championship in college.
Though he is new to the NFL, he has been widely regarded since high school to be mature beyond his years.
Trevor Lawrence is 19, a national champion, a face of the sport and maybe… the most famous college student in the country. pic.twitter.com/RBU0jdrIa1
— ESPN (@espn) September 7, 2019
He Is A Leader
With that intrinsic maturity and presence that Lawrence has as part of his DNA are the tendencies of a leader.
Of course, most quarterbacks are viewed as their team’s leaders.
Lawrence is only 21 years old; we tend to forget that because he has been in the limelight for so long.
His leadership of his past teams has been steady and unwavering.
He will employ the same characteristics with the Jaguars.
The Jags’ 2021 Fate Rests With Him
Trevor Lawrence is gonna feast in his first NFL game #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/BtW32EPM11
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 7, 2021
Lawrence is in the situation of a typical first-round draft pick in his rookie year.
There are not a lot of sustainable pieces around him.
Future free agency periods, drafts, and transactions will bring those building blocks to Jacksonville.
He will be a big reason why players will want to come and play for the team.
That is all in the future.
In 2021, he has what he has, and let’s be clear, he is the best player on the team.
How well he is able to play (and handle the defensive pressure) will dictate how the Jaguars fare in 2021.
For all of the above reasons, Lawrence is very deserving of the captain designation for the Jaguars this season.
