JACKSONVILLE – Trevor Lawrence's  future remains bright.

Evan Engramleft no doubt that he feels that way – and the veteran tight end was far from alone on that topic recently. Engram and others left no doubt on this topic, too:

Lawrence is the Jaguars' franchise quarterback.

"One hundred percent," Engram said.

Engram, the Jaguars' starting tight end whose 114 receptions in 2023 were two shy of the franchise single-season receptions record, spoke last Monday – a day after the Jaguars' season ended with a loss to the Tennessee Titans.

He spoke positively of the future and growth of Lawrence, who started 16 of 17 games in 2023 while playing through injuries that forced him to leave four different games – including three of the team's final six games.

"I think everybody is going to have an opinion, that's the world now," Engram said. "Everybody has access to getting their opinions out there and there are buttons that can be pressed where more people can see opinions.

"From what I see, as a player in this locker room, a player in the trenches, on the field, he's our guy."

Lawrence, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, has started 50 of 51 games in his NFL career. After throwing 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions as a rookie, he threw 25 touchdowns with eight interceptions during the Jaguars' 2022 AFC South title season.

He threw 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2023, with seven of the interceptions coming as Lawrence played through injuries late in the season.

"Obviously this season isn't what any of us want, but if we're talking individually, there's not a man who cares more," Jaguars wide receiver Zay Jones said. "There's not a man who does more for his team. There's not a man who's in the training room more, getting worked on his body and watching film at the same time, also battling to be able to go out there and give his all."

Jones praised Lawrence as a "great friend, a great leader and a great teammate."

"It's a team game," Jones said. "He'll receive a lot of praise and he'll receive a lot of criticism because of the position he's in. I don't want to go to battle with anybody else right now, because of the relationship and the rapport that we built.

"Honestly, I don't really care what anybody says about him outside of this building."

Lawrence's future and development was a primary topic as Jaguars players moved from the 2023 season into the 2024 offseason last week – and it likely remain a topic throughout the 2024 offseason. Lawrence said as much, saying "Who knows what the narrative is going to be? I'm sure not good, but I really don't care."

"It's not about that for me," Lawrence said.

Lawrence said he saw areas in which he improved in 2023 – and that his offseason focus is continuing that growth. Teammates remain confident he will do just that.

"I don't think it stunts it," wide receiver Christian Kirksaid of this past season's effect on Lawrence's growth. "I actually think it'll accelerate it. When things are going good and as planned, sometimes life and especially football has other plans and it gets hard. It is a hard game, and you can't expect everything to go great at all times and forever.

"Knowing him, I know he's going to take accountability for how he played, his part in not taking this season to where we wanted to go. I know he's going to come back hungrier than ever and to not let it slight his view on who he is.

"We all remember the times that everybody was patting him on the back and, saying he's the best thing since sliced bread. It's just how football is. You can't ignore the bad plays, but I know he's going to bounce back better than ever."

QUOTABLE

• Head Coach Doug Pederson how injuries impacted the Jaguars’ 2023 season: "Each year is different. Some years you have very few, some years you have quite a few. For us this year was quite a few, but it was the ones that guys were missing four games [that hurt the most]. The [injured reserve], missing four games, it disrupts a lot of things. It disrupts them individually; it could disrupt a unit – in our case, particularly the offensive line with the amount of injury there, especially on the left side. Guys that missed, it all can impact your football team. We never want to use injury as an excuse to why we win or lose games, it's our job to make sure that we prepare everybody to play. The players who are elevated, it's their job to get themselves ready to play."