4 contracts for Jacksonville Jaguars to revisit in the next 12 months

Andrew Norwell could stay with the Jacksonville Jaguars beyond 2021.

Time passes by quickly. It feels like yesterday when the Jaguars gave Andrew Norwell a blockbuster five-year deal worth $66.5 million in 2018. At the time, the contract made the former undrafted free agent the highest-paid guard in the NFL. He was coming off his first and only First-Team All-Pro designation, so it didn’t look like a bad investment. Although Norwell hasn’t played at an elite level over the last three years, he’s still been an asset up front and is entering the fourth year of the pact. Nevertheless, there have been a few bumps on the road.

There was a report the Jaguars could consider trading the veteran guard earlier this year. He ended up restructuring his contract to stay in Jacksonville and will become a free agent next offseason. The team’s brass could end up re-signing Norwell but that will depend on several factors. The first one is kind of obvious. He must stay healthy and play at a high level. Why would the Jags re-sign him if he struggles in 2021?

Then, there’s Ben Bartch. If the second-year guard shows enough growth this upcoming season, Jacksonville could feel comfortable moving on from Norwell but if he doesn’t, they could bring back the veteran. Finally, the Jaguars need to gauge 2022’s free-agent market and next year’s guard class.

Brandon Scherff may once again hit the open market in 2022 but other than him, next year’s free-agent guard class doesn’t look particularly enticing. That could lead the Jaguars to retain Norwell for at least one more year.