“I was a little nervous in my first NFL game”: Trevor Lawrence Admits He Feels the Nerves Before the First Game of Every Season

The Jacksonville Jaguars will hope that the arrival of Trevor Lawrence will turn the franchise around after an abysmal 2020 season. And Lawrence opened up about his solid preseason debut.

Trevor Lawrence much-awaited NFL debut got off to a pretty rough start but still managed to turn in a solid performance in his limited playing time on Saturday night against the Browns. Trevor Lawrence’s first NFL snap ended with a sack that nearly turned into a fumble, but the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback didn’t let that rattle him.

Lawrence went 6-for-9 and, per NFL NextGen Stats, completed 3-of-4 of those passes into tight windows, which equaled the best completion percentage on tight-window throws by a Jaguars quarterback in 2020. Lawrence threw for 71 yards — including a 35-yarder to Marvin Jones Jr. to convert a third-down. However, his solid performance did not lead to any points.

Trevor Lawrence reacted to his preseason debut.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said afterward that he was feeling some nerves on his first play, when he was hit and he fumbled.

“The first play you’re a little bit, especially first game here in the NFL, you’re a little bit nervous; but after that, you’re just playing ball,” Lawrence said, via ESPN. “Definitely felt that [comfort] setting in. I usually typically get nervous before the first game of any season anyway, so that’s pretty standard. I was excited. I was ready to get out there. It’s been a long time coming. It’s been my dream.”

Lawrence said that once he shook off the nerves, he felt good about how he played.

“I feel like the first time out there, I felt comfortable, felt poised,” Lawrence said. “Obviously, the first play’s not kind of what you want for the first play, but after that, I thought we did a good job. We communicated well up front. They did a really good job of protection. At least one of those sacks was on me, for sure, just holding the ball too long. That’s something I’ll work on. Just maneuvering in the pocket is something I’ve always got to work on.”

Though he’s the first-overall pick, Lawrence still has to compete for starting reps, often rotating with Gardner Minshew over the past few weeks. Lawrence hasn’t made very many mistakes during camp, but he’s had a few over the past few weeks, including a three-interception affair early on in camp.

The official depth chart for Saturday lists Lawrence OR Minshew as the starter. But the game saw Lawrence come out on top.  The offense also was much more effective under Lawrence (74 yards) than under Minshew, who threw for 47 yards and an interception and led the offense to 46 yards in three possessions.