Trevor Lawrence waves off coach Liam Coen during Jaguars' loss to Bengals
Broadcast video of the fourth-quarter exchange went viral as Cincinnati rallied late; Lawrence finished with three TDs and two interceptions
Trevor Lawrence appeared to wave off Jaguars head coach Liam Coen during a heated fourth-quarter exchange Sunday as Jacksonville ultimately fell to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The moment came after a fourth-quarter pass intended for Dyami Brown fell incomplete. CBS broadcast footage showed Coen angrily gesturing at Lawrence and urging the quarterback to lead receivers with throws to the chest; Lawrence responded by waving his hand as if dismissing the instruction while the Jaguars still held a three-point lead.
Cincinnati rallied late despite starter Joe Burrow being sidelined with a foot injury. Backup Jake Browning scored on a scramble into the end zone with 18 seconds remaining to secure the win and move the Bengals to 2-0 on the season.
Lawrence finished the game with 271 passing yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Top target Brian Thomas Jr. caught four of 12 targets for 49 yards as the duo again appeared out of sync in key moments. The incomplete pass to Brown that preceded the exchange with Coen drew particular attention on social media and highlights.
The on-field interaction drew swift reaction online. Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III criticized both coach and player, writing on social media that "worst thing a Coach can do is show up his QB" and later adding, "Worst thing a QB can do is blow off his coach," calling for the relationship between Coen and Lawrence to be fixed.
Coen is in his first season as Jacksonville's head coach. The Jaguars have shown flashes on offense but have struggled with consistency; Lawrence has not matched the Pro Bowl level of his sophomore year and is 11-17 over his last 28 starts, with 36 touchdowns and 24 interceptions during that span. Jacksonville will look to regroup when it hosts the Houston Texans next week.
Video of the exchange circulated widely after the broadcast, intensifying scrutiny of the quarterback–coach dynamic as the Jaguars attempt to stabilize a season that figures to be defined by the relationship between Lawrence and the coaching staff. Team officials did not immediately provide additional comment on the incident following the game.