For Trevor Lawrence, time management is a constant challenge. As an NFL quarterback, his life is all about accomplishing as much as he can in the tightest possible timeframes. With the clock ticking down during a drive upfield, or during the grueling hours of practice throughout the week, Lawrence strives for clarity of mind and composure.
It’s not easy, but he’s found a way to ground himself in one of the most chaotic jobs on the planet—and often does so with a quick glance of his wrist. Thanks to a new partnership between the NFL and Swiss luxury watchmaker Breitling, the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback has the aid of one of the most precise timepieces to help him stay in full flow and ensure strong chemistry with his teammates on and off the field.
Even after the final whistle is blown, Lawrence is still managing his time. Since high school, everything about his life has been a matter of devoting time, sweat and grit to football. But, he says, life as an NFL player is more fluid than the rigid schedule he grew up with. “When you get to the NFL and you have a little bit more time with your hands than in college, especially in the off season. It’s a question of figuring out what your schedule is, what your training regimen is going to be,” he says.
Breitling has been helping him with that. In partnership with the NFL, the watchmaker has released the Breitling Chronomat NFL Collection, with one commemorative timepiece for each of the league’s 32 iconic franchises. In celebration of the 104th anniversary of the NFL, each team's watch is limited to 104 pieces and each caseback is specially engraved with the NFL logo and the "One of 104" limitation. Lawrence wears the Jaguars edition, obviously, but he isn’t the only player with a Breitling affiliation: Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs also reps the signature timepiece, as does CJ Mosely, linebacker and captain of the New York Jets.
As a brand, Breitling’s legacy stretches back to the company’s founding in 1884. The company’s roots in the NFL also run deep: Former quarterback and 4-time Pro Bowler Boomer Esiason has been a Breitling ambassador for 30 years. As a quarterback and Breitling ambassador, Lawrence is in esteemed company.
A Breitling watch, Lawrence says, is the kind of thing that keeps your mind in order when life is quieter, so you can excel in the frenetic whirlwind of a football game. His timepiece serves as an unconscious reminder of his responsibilities to always stay ahead of the clock—in practice and on gameday.
But even for Lawrence, understanding how to be precise under the pressure of a fast-ticking game clock isn’t easy. The margins separating success and failure are vanishingly thin.
“It really is a game of inches and milliseconds,” Lawrence says.
When he was in college, quarterbacking the Clemson Tigers, things were generally calmer. Wearing the orange of Clemson, Lawrence had more time to sync with his receivers and dictate the run of play than he does these days in the NFL. In college, for example, the clock would stop momentarily after every down.
But the NFL grants relatively few favors, meaning every decision made by the quarterback is increasingly consequential as the clock ticks down.
“It's crazy how the final score usually comes down to just a few plays or a few minutes at the very end,” says Lawrence, now in his fourth year at the pro level.
Playing at the highest level has been an adjustment for Lawrence, 25. “In my first year it was definitely tougher. You felt really rushed and under the gun to get all the yards in one play when you're in a two minute drill.”
But hindsight is a great teacher, and Lawrence now recognizes that even in the NFL the clock can slow down, if you allow it to. “You really have more time than you think.”
Cultivating that kind of awareness comes only from practice, practice, practice. And when the Jaguars get to work, they intentionally make it hard for Lawrence by setting the play clock low once the offense breaks the huddle. It’s paid off in the form of Lawrence’s QB stats: He passed for 4,000 yards in 2023, and the Jags’ passing offense has been in the NFL’s top ten over the last two seasons.
The feeling of intensity progresses each game week, especially as winter sets in, Lawrence says. The stakes are increasingly high as the clock ticks down to the postseason. “There's that clear black and white distinction of what you have to do to win. And I think all the teams obviously understand that as the playoffs get closer” he explains.
Luckily, the time commitment Lawrence must give to the team is only reinforced by the Breitling watch adorning his wrist. “I love it,” Lawrence says of the watch. “It’s subtle and not too out there. You can wear it with anything, but you also can represent your team.”
And representing the Jaguars is what Lawrence does best.
Learn More About the Breitling Chronomat NFL Collection
Football enthusiasts around the United States can secure their favorite team's watches exclusively at Breitling Boutiques and authorized retailers, as well as at Breitling.com.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Trevor Lawrence Learned to Master Time in the NFL.