Jacksonville Jaguars would be smart to extend these 3 players’ contracts

Outside linebacker T.J. Watt deserved to be paid like the elite player he is. That’s why it wasn’t surprising to see him agree to a four-year contract extension worth $112 million with $80 million guaranteed. Keep in mind that it’s never good business to try to squeeze your top players. Look at how things played out for the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott. The Boys thought they could talk the two-time Pro Bowler into taking less money but ended up caving and paying retail for his services.

Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers have Watt under contract, it’s a good time to take a look at the Jacksonville Jaguars roster to see who is deserving of an extension. They currently have $31.6 million in cap space, so it wouldn’t be cost-prohibitive for them to hand one or two contract extensions. The thing is that after a quick glance, you will find that this is a really young team filled with first and second-year players.

Moreover, a good chunk of the players on the Jaguars’ roster will be playing the 2021 season on a one-year deal or have just signed a contract this offseason. That significantly narrows down the number of candidates to earn a long-term deal. The case could be made that linebacker Myles Jack deserves a raise but his contract runs through 2023 and the front office may not be incentivized to give him an extension with three years left on his contract.

Next year will be different though. EDGE rusher Josh Allen, Jawaan Taylor will enter a contract year. If either one (or both) plays at a high level in 2021, they will be in a position to ask for a new deal. For the time being, here are three players that should get a contract extension before the start of the 2021 season.