Trevor Lawrence thanks Jaguars fans, City of Jacksonville for 'special' season

The clock hit 0:00 in the team's 27-20 playoff loss to the Chiefs and unlike the last six weeks, the Jaguars aren't moving on to the next game. Instead, the team will get ready for the offseason and prepare for next year, hoping to get back to the playoffs for the second year in a row.

For Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Saturday night was an opportunity to say thank you to fans and the City of Jacksonville for what they did to support the team in 2022.

"A lot of ups and downs this season. It was a special year for us, for the city, for everybody. We couldn’t have done it without all of you guys supporting us," Lawrence said after the game Saturday.

"We’re thankful for you guys. Those last two home games were games that I’ll never forget. Just excited for that to be the atmosphere and the future for our team. I’m really excited. It’s hard to even think about next year right now because this loss is fresh. We’re going to be back, this is the new standard. We set that, this is the bar and we’ll be back.”

The Jaguars played in front of sold-out crowds in Jacksonville over the last two weeks in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs and, what amounted to, a playoff regular-season bout against the Tennessee Titans in Week 18.

Jacksonville's special season comes a year after one of the worst seasons in franchise history, a 3-14 year as the worst team in the league. This year, Jacksonville became one of four teams in the AFC still alive, something many people did not expect to happen.

Much of that wouldn't be possible without Lawrence, who was selected with the first-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Without him, the team wouldn't have gotten to where it needed to this year.

"I have said this before that the success of your football team relies on the quarterback. You have to get that piece and that player right. I feel personally in Jacksonville that we have that person right," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the game Saturday.

"He is just going to get better. He is going to learn from this. He is going to grow with the receivers, tight ends, the backs because they are all young."

After the game, Lawrence showcased his leadership by waiting in the tunnel to support his teammates.

“It goes to show the guy he already is and has been," receiver Christian Kirk said of Lawrence. "He is the ultimate leader, ultimate battler. He is a guy who loves his teammates and is going to go out there and leave it all on the field.”

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence gives thanks to fans, city after playoff loss