JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – One more market-setting NFL contract was handed out on Monday, but it wasn’t to Trevor Lawrence.
That wait continues.
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But unlike other contract situations in professional sports that have played out in the public eye, Lawrence’s status with the Jaguars hasn’t been one of them. An extension for Lawrence has been one of the biggest headlines in the offseason, especially for the Jaguars. The No. 1 overall pick in 2021, Lawrence is eligible to sign a massive contract extension, and the Jaguars are working on getting
They took care of edge Josh Allen last April, re-signing him to a five-year, $150 million deal. Lawrence’s deal, when it happens, will be significantly more than that.
“Yeah, obviously, I’m aware of what’s going on. But I try to keep my focus on, you know, doing my job out here. You know, I have full belief that’ll take care of itself,” Lawrence said Monday. “And that’s not something that I need to worry about. You know, that’s why I pay people and hire people to do that for me. So that’s not my job. But you know, obviously, I know what’s going on. I’m aware of the situation. I think that’s important, too.”
Lawrence knows that his contract situation is big news, but he’s been more focused with what’s going on in the huddle. Jacksonville is in a pivotal season. The Jaguars have won nine games in back-to-back seasons, but they had far different feelings at the end of both. In 2022, Jacksonville finished the year on a tear and made the playoffs. Last season, the Jaguars were 8-3 at one point and imploded with losses in five of their final six games to miss the postseason.
There’s a new defensive coaching staff and notable changes on the offensive side of the ball, and OTAs are the first step in getting all of those pieces on the same page. Receivers Gabe Davis and Brian Thomas Jr. are Lawrence’s new weapons. Christian Kirk is healthy after missing the last five games with a core muscle injury. Center Mitch Morse is penciled in as a starter on an offensive line that was one of the league’s worst last year.
“I think we’ve gotten a lot better. Just the way the tempo, the intensity that we’ve had in OTAs, it’s been definitely a step up of the past couple years. I know that was the point of emphasis for us is to really take advantage of this time that we get,” Lawrence said.
“Because come training camp, you know, you want to feel like you’re on your way to being a well-oiled machine, obviously, you have work to do, but you want to use this time maximize it. So, when you get to training camp, you feel like you’re a step ahead of, you know where we were last year. Even just other teams around the league, you want to try to get every advantage you can.”
Head coach Doug Pederson said that Lawrence remains Jacksonville’s leader by example.
“Look, it’s not about necessarily being all vocal. I played with one of the greatest in Brett [QB Brett Farve] and he wasn’t a vocal guy but he just led by example and spoke up when he had to,” Pederson. “Trevor is very similar that way. He speaks when he has to, but just things we’ve seen this offseason have been very positive that way, and we just got to continue to grow in that direction.”
The contract talks remain something that both Lawrence and the Jaguars would like to get done before the season ramps up.
Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson had the big contract bombshell Monday, signing a quarterback-sized deal that is reported to be $160 million over four years.
As for quarterbacks, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow has the highest average annual value at $55 million per season. He signed that extension last year. It’s thought that Lawrence will land in the top five of AAV, but won’t top what Burrow makes. Detroit’s Jared Goff ranks No. 2 at $53 million, followed by Los Angeles’ Justin Herbert ($52.5 million), Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson ($52 million) and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts ($51 million).
“I think that would be ideal, you know, just to put it behind us and keep moving and feel good about that going into training camp,” Lawrence said. “But either way, like I’ve said before, I have the same job. So, you know, I can’t always control all those factors. But I have the same job to do either way.”