The Jacksonville Jaguars insist that they are not tanking for Trevor Lawrence. Rather, they’re just a terrible team this year.
“No one’s advised me anything different than to go out there and win,” team head coach Doug Marrone said Monday.
“I mean I was young growing up and had a favorite team and was excited to see where they were going to pick. I look back and I understand, but, I mean … we’re trying to win. I mean, we’re doing everything we possibly can and that’s my job right now and I owe it to the coaches and players.
“None of us are going to look at this and the future. No one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow, never mind at the end of the year. But I do understand the question and appreciate it.”
The New York Jets’ win over the LA Rams on Sunday gave them and the Jaguars identical 1-13 records.
However, Jacksonville owns the tiebreaker thanks to a significantly worse strength of schedule.
Should the teams finish with identical records at the end of the year, the Jaguars would beat out the Jets out for the first overall pick.
“I wouldn’t be able to do that,” Marrone said of tanking.
“I couldn’t do it. I just wouldn’t. I’ve never done it at anything in my life. I got trouble letting my kids win when they were little.”
Jacksonville has lost 13 straight games, which ties the franchise record set over the final five outings of the 2012 season and the first eight outings of the 2013 season.
Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
