Peyton Manning knows a thing or two about good quarterbacking. In addition to his Hall of Fame career in the NFL, the former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos passer also helps run the Manning Passing Academy.
Alumni of the academy include Jacksonville Jaguars second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has made quite an impression on Manning.
“Trevor, the sky is the limit with this guy,” Manning told the Jaguars social media staff over the weekend while serving as the coach of the AFC at the 2023 Pro Bowl Games. “I like the way he carries himself. … They had great success this year and kind of sent a message to the rest of the AFC that Jacksonville’s here. I expect great things out of him in the next years.”
Lawrence, 23, bounced back from a rough rookie season when he threw 12 touchdowns and led the league in interceptions with 17. In his second season, Lawrence thrived under new Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson. The Jaguars quarterback threw 25 touchdowns with eight interceptions and earned Pro Bowl honors.
With Pederson at the helm for the foreseeable future, Manning thinks Lawrence is in good hands.
“[Lawrence]’s got a great knowledge of the system,” Manning said. “I think with Doug Pederson, they could be a tough combination for a long time for years to come. I’m really happy for him.
“I like when a head coach is calling the plays often because that means there’s continuity in the offense. Even if Doug’s not calling them, it’s going to be the same system. That’s good for a quarterback. If your quarterback is having to learn a new system every single year, that’s difficult. So I like the situation that Trevor’s in.”
In January, the Associated Press announced that Pederson is one of three finalists for the Coach of the Year, which will be announced Thursday night.
