Former Jaguars teammate of Trevor Lawrence reveals key reason behind his retirement ahead of 2025 NFL season

Trevor Lawrence will have some new faces around him heading into the upcoming NFL season — and a few familiar ones who won’t be there. One of the centers who snapped the ball to him last season in the Jacksonville Jaguars will no longer be alongside the former Clemson star, having stepped away from the game and retired from professional football.

Veteran center Mitch Morse recently announced his official retirement from the NFL, bringing an end to his playing career after nine seasons. Throughout his time in the league, Morse lined up alongside Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs and later protected Josh Allen as a key piece of the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line.

In a recent conversation with the media, Morse opened up about the process behind making such a significant decision in his life: “I came to this decision midway through last year. Also, know that I’m prone to making these kind of huge moves in my mind and then kind of acting on them,” the Pro Bowler stated.

“So I thought maybe just take a second, and especially if you come to this conclusion in your mind, and then you’re dead set on in season, they can start affecting your play and field. So I thought, let’s just compartmentalize that, put that to the side. Know that it’s something that you want to do, and then see what happens.”

Trevor Lawrence #16 and Mitch Morse #65 of the Jacksonville Jaguars celebrate after Lawrence’s rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 03, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“So kept playing, didn’t change. Won a few games, didn’t change. A new regime came in, didn’t change. And then, and then they came to me and kind of asked if I was up for that culture shift Year 11,” Morse also added. “And listen, dude, I had a blast in Jacksonville. Of course, professionally wasn’t what we wanted to be, but there was a lot of good the people, the camaraderie, the support staff, the coaching, just didn’t work out, dude, and it doesn’t wasn’t because we didn’t work hard, or try hard, or care about each other.”

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Morse’s replacement on the Jaguars

With Mitch Morse no longer on the Jaguars’ roster, the front office had to move quickly to find his replacement. Liam Coen, who served as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator last season, managed to bring in a familiar face: Robert Hainsey.

“He was really one of the voices in that room that I thought stood out all the way through and consistent as a leader, and as somebody that does things the right way, communicates at a high level, and when he does get on the field, plays his (expletive) off,” the Jaguars HC said.

“That’s what he’s done. Obviously, worked with Robert for the last year, really feel strongly about his leadership, the communication, and when he played for us this year against the Saints, go and watch that tape and you could see he was playing to prove it.”