JACKSONVILLE – Availability is paramount.

That's true of any NFL player – and if quarterback Trevor Lawrence didn't know already, he absolutely knows it's critical for him and the Jaguars moving forward.

"You've just got to stay healthy," Lawrence said.

Lawrence, speaking to the media this week as the 2024 offseason program opened, discussed multiple topics – including the Jaguars' disappointing end to the 2023 season and his health during a late-season stretch in which he left three of six games with injuries.

The Jaguars went 1-5 during that stretch, missing the postseason by a game with a Week 18 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Lawrence practiced full just one week of those weeks, with Head Coach Doug Pederson saying recently: "We've got to make sure he's taking every snap every day out there at practice."

"If he does that, then more good things are going to happen," Pederson added, with Lawrence saying this week: "Especially at quarterback, you've got to stay healthy."

"That's something that I've learned: If you're not healthy and you can't practice, it's hard to play well," he said.

Trevor Lawrence, who did not miss a start in his first two NFL seasons, missed the first start of his NFL career in a Week 17 loss to the Carolina Panthers last season. He left a Week 13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals with a high-ankle sprain, a Week 15 loss to the Baltimore Ravens with a concussion and a Week 16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a shoulder injury.

"I don't really regret necessarily the decisions I made," Lawrence said. "I think the thing to learn about it is maybe the way I play. Maybe sometimes I can avoid some hits. You've just got to stay healthy. The teams that get better every week and that stay healthy are usually the teams that go pretty far into the playoffs and win the Super Bowl.

Lawrence, after throwing 14 touchdowns with seven interceptions during the Jaguars’ 8-3 start, threw seven touchdowns with seven interceptions in five games played during the last six games. He talked Tuesday taking "ownership" in ensuring he remains healthy throughout the season "to practice and prepare during the week so I feel like I can put my best performance out there on Sunday and give us a chance to win."

"Maybe it's taking less hits, maybe it's throwing the ball away or doing certain things," he said. "I feel like late in the year, I didn't do that enough. I had a handful of games where I didn't feel like I played well and missed some throws and did some stuff that was uncharacteristic.

"I regret how it turned out, but I always said, 'if I can play and I feel like I'm not hurting the team…' I did the best I could and went out there. I would expect the same of my teammates. If I expect that from guys late in the season – to play and to really play through some stuff – then I'm going to have to do the same. I felt like that's what I was doing.

"I think the biggest thing is just getting my body to a point where I can withstand a lot of hits or whatever it is, but also limiting some of them as much as I can. It's a balance of all of that."

QUOTABLE

• Lawrence on an AFC South many observers believe has improved in the 2024 offseason: "Stuff happens every offseason. You still have to play 17 games and a lot can happen. Everyone wants to make a huge deal in the offseason of different moves that happen. We have a really good division, there's no denying that. We've got good quarterbacks, good offenses, good defenses. It's a really competitive division. For us, it doesn't change anything. You're going to have to go through all these teams anyway if you want to win a Super Bowl. You're not going to dodge and get to play teams that aren't very good. There aren't really that many in the league anyway. It always changes by the time the season comes. Some teams you think might be great maybe don't have a great year. Some teams you didn't think were going to be really any good have a great year. There's a lot of work that has to be done from now until training camp and through training camp to get ready for the year."

QUOTABLE

• Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun on the Jaguars’ defense under new coordinator Ryan Nielsen: "It's all about effort and I think that's where he's going to keep our standard to. Playing hard, playing aggressive. If we just take those, outside of scheme, just take that style of play, I think a good deal of things will happen for us."