Trevor Lawrence’s start to his NFL career resembles Hall of Famer Troy Aikman’s, but the two QBs could diverge significantly in two weeks.
In his first two seasons (1989-90) with the Cowboys, Aikman started 26 games and went 7-19. He went 381-for-692 (55.1 percent) for 4,328 yards with 20 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. The Cowboys failed to make the playoffs both years.
Lawrence has 31 starts over the past two seasons and is 9-22. In the passing-dominated era of the NFL, he has nearly as many completions as Aikman had pass attempts, going 689-of-1102 (62.5 percent) for 7,161 yards with 36 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
Comparisons between the QBs cropped up in 2021, when Lawrence joined Aikman and Peyton Manning as the only rookie QBs to throw multiple interceptions in their first three career starts.
During the offseason, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer recalled a conversation during the 2021 season with an NFL head coach. Breer wrote that the coach said Lawrence’s poise in the face of horrible circumstances — the man played for unqualified head coach Urban Meyer as a rookie — reminded him of what Aikman had experienced during his rookie season.
In his first season in Dallas, Aikman endured a 1-15 season. In 2021, Lawrence’s Jaguars finished 3-14.
Aikman praised Lawrence before the 2021 NFL Draft, when the former Clemson star became the No. 1 overall pick.
