'I promise it was just the beginning': Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence pens letter to Jacksonville

Last season was one that will not be forgotten soon in Jacksonville, especially for Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

In a "thank you" letter penned to the City of Jacksonville via The Players Tribune, the team's franchise QB reiterated that fact but was frank when discussing the future of the franchise and the lasting impact the season had on the team and city.

The simple takeaway?

"It wasn’t good enough," Lawrence said in his letter.

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The Jaguars beat all odds last year with their 9-8 regular-season record to win the AFC South. The team was coming off of a turbulent, culture-breaking season in 2021 under former head coach Urban Meyer, something that appeared daunting to overcome.

Still, Jaguars players never gave up, even after the team lost five games in the midst of one of the more magical seasons in Jaguars history.

"All season long, I kept looking at our division standings. Even when it wasn’t going well, I just kept looking, like, Well … if we win this one and this one and this one…," Lawrence wrote.

Following the team's loss to the Detroit Lions, dropping the Jaguars to 4-8, Lawrence took a trip to receiver Christian Kirk's house, joined by fellow wideout Zay Jones to mull over the loss and figure out where they needed to go.

"And we realized that if we were going to give ourselves a chance, we probably couldn’t afford any more losses."

He was right. The Jaguars defeated the Tennessee Titans in Week 14, the start of winning their final five games of the season to earn a home playoff game for the first time since 2017.

But, the team couldn't get there, and couldn't pull off a victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round after being down 27-0, without the culture that was set up throughout the year, and the belief and family mindset that was built by the coaches and players.

"It wasn’t because of some game plan switch or anything like that. It was because we had us," Lawrence wrote.

'Thank you to all of Duval'

As the Jaguars went on their magical run, they had the City of Jacksonville right there with them.

Jaguars fans were out in full force after the team defeated the Titans to take the AFC South. It was noticed by Lawrence even on trips to the grocery store.

"There was this energy in the air," said Lawrence. "The beach had a buzz. Downtown was alive. Even Publix felt a part of it. I don’t think people realize how die-hard our fans are — how much Jags fans love this team, and how hungry they are for a winner. They just want us to be great. They want to get there. I felt that."

Winning cures a lot, of course, but that couldn't be overstated more than when the team rallied back to defeat the Chargers. It was then that Lawrence saw the ferocity and tenacity of Jaguars fans.

Even while down 27-0 with five turnovers in the first half, no one left.

"That struck me as saying a lot about this place," he said. "Those picks didn’t have to matter. The score didn’t have to matter. There was a whole half of football left, and we had a really good football team. And we had y’all."

Jaguars fans showed up in droves for the team's playoff win with 70,250 tickets distributed against L.A.

"So I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all of Duval. Because I know how much this season meant to our city," Lawrence said.

Culture reset was product of Pederson, players

Lawrence also wrote about the first time he met Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson. One of the first conversations Lawrence had with Pederson occurred last winter, not long after he was hired on to replace Meyer.

"He didn’t come in and say we’re fixing this and that and making a bunch of changes. With Doug, it wasn’t even about football — it was about us," said Lawrence."

That held true throughout the year as the team attempted to overcome adversity. Eventually, Lawrence said, the team found a belief in itself.

In 2021, Lawrence worried about the team's ability to retain players. He admits that he understood there were players that were looking forward to being "anywhere else" after what they went through during the 3-14 campaign.

Now, all of that has changed. Players actually want to return to Jacksonville rather than leave.

"Now what I hear is guys talking about how this is a family," Lawrence said. "I hear guys talking like they know this is one of the best organizations in football, and they wouldn’t want to be anywhere else ... It feels good. It makes me really proud to be a Jaguar."

Trevor Lawrence played with chip on shoulder in 2022

Prior to the 2021 NFL Draft, Lawrence admitted he didn't play with a chip on his shoulder.

Why would he? He didn't really know what it was like to lose during his prior football experience in college and high school.

In 2022, he developed that chip, especially after he heard the noise of "bust" surrounding his name.

"Last year absolutely gave me something to prove. I felt the pain of the city," Lawrence penned. "I knew what people expected from me, and what they’d invested in me. I knew that I was supposed to be a part of something different for this team. I understood."

Lawrence spoke with his wife, Marissa, about the ordeal, understanding they were in Jacksonville for a purpose. To turn the franchise all the way around.

In his rookie season, Lawrence threw just 12 touchdowns and a league-high 17 interceptions. In 2022, Lawrence tossed 25 touchdowns and just eight interceptions during the regular season.

He completed a franchise-record 66.3 percent of his passes and ran for another five scores to lead the team to one of its most memorable seasons in franchise history.

Now, Lawrence hopes the team can move forward, not satisfied with where they finished last year. With the Chiefs and Eagles set to face off in the Super Bowl on Sunday, Lawrence wants to be one of those two teams sooner than later.

"So, Duval — thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with us. For believing in us," said Lawrence. "We couldn’t have done it without you. That playoff win, that feeling, I want that forever. I promise it was just the beginning.

"And I promise that where these last two teams are going — that’s where we’re planning on being."

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Trevor Lawrence writes thank you to Jacksonville Jaguars fans