Skip to content The Trevor Lawrence MVP push is no longer a distant projection after ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell slotted the Jacksonville quarterback third in his midseason rankings. Lawrence sits behind only Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals and Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers at the midway mark of the 2026 campaign.
That recognition mirrors a dramatic shift in how the wider league views Jacksonville. After years of hovering on the fringes of national attention, the Jaguars now carry real Super Bowl buzz because their offense has morphed into one of football’s most ruthless units.
Also read: Travis Etienne Returns to Saints Practice in Limited Capacity
First-year head coach Liam Coen also took the runner-up spot in the midseason Coach of the Year balloting. Meanwhile, two-way phenom Travis Hunter secured first-team All-Pro honors at cornerback alongside Cleveland’s Denzel Ward and Seattle’s Devon Witherspoon.
How the Trevor Lawrence MVP case came together
Lawrence has built his midseason resume on raw production paired with ruthless efficiency. Through the first half of the year, he has compiled 1,932 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
His 111.7 passer rating ranks near the top of the league, and his 8.6 yards per attempt leads all NFL quarterbacks. Those numbers show a dramatic leap from previous seasons, when he averaged between 7.0 and 7.2 yards per throw across each of his first four professional campaigns.
The biggest change lies in how he protects the football under pressure. A year ago, Lawrence suffered four multiturnover games during the regular season and another in a playoff loss against Buffalo. So far this year, he has avoided multiple giveaways in every single contest, giving this Trevor Lawrence MVP pursuit genuine staying power.
Why Liam Coen is chasing Coach of the Year
Much of that transformation traces back to the sideline, where Liam Coen has revitalized the entire operation. Coen trails only Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers in the Coach of the Year conversation while pacing ahead of Chicago’s Ben Johnson.
“Coen has built a reliable run game despite injuries up front, which is why he’s a spot ahead of Johnson, and he has also managed to reel in and get the most out of a quarterback, Trevor Lawrence , who was prone to putting the ball in danger too often.”
Persuading Coen to leave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to take the Jacksonville job now looks like a masterstroke. Even with several offensive line injuries disrupting continuity, Coen constructed a balanced ground attack that takes pressure off the pocket.
That structure allows Lawrence to throw with conviction. Fully 94% of his attempts this season have arrived via quick-game concepts or directly in rhythm within Coen’s scheme.
The numbers powering this Trevor Lawrence MVP push
Beyond traditional counting stats, the underlying efficiency metrics explain why the Trevor Lawrence MVP campaign has captured league-wide attention. He currently holds the lowest off-target passing rate in the NFL at just 9.2%.
He has also turned off-script scrambles into routine chunk gains. Lawrence leads all passers with a 91.5 QBR when throwing outside the pocket, frequently escaping to his left before locating an open receiver downfield.
The Jaguars generate explosive plays on 20.6% of Lawrence’s dropbacks, a figure second only to Josh Allen’s 21.1% in Buffalo. Rather than forcing dangerous passes downfield, Lawrence attacks coverage gaps with calculated aggression.
That precision has removed the chaotic swings that once defined his weekly performances. If he maintains this trajectory through December, the Trevor Lawrence MVP argument will be nearly impossible for voters to ignore.
What Travis Hunter and the defense add
Jacksonville’s dominance stretches well beyond the offensive backfield. Cornerback Travis Hunter has emerged as a shutdown presence on defense while still contributing snaps on the offensive side of the ball.
Hunter is also competing for the NFL Breakout Player of the Year award at midseason. Running back Bhayshul Tuten joined him as a candidate for that same honor after fueling the running game through front-line injuries.
Together, the roster has hit full stride over the last two weeks. Jacksonville routed Indianapolis and Baltimore by a staggering combined margin of 75-17 to solidify its position atop the conference standings.
Can anyone in the AFC South slow down this group right now? The Jaguars put their winning streak on the line next Sunday when they travel to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans.
Source: Yahoo Sports
