Grade the pitch: Jaguars trade Trevor Lawrence to Steelers for package of picks

Chatter about the Jacksonville Jaguars potentially trading Trevor Lawrence recently dominated the internet. This was because the Pittsburgh Steelers supposedly were in talks to acquire the franchise quarterback, but the rumor quickly received pushback from both the national and local media. Nevertheless, it caught enough steam that several outlets came up with proposals to get a deal done. FanDuel didn't want to be left behind.

FanDuel posted a trade proposal on Twitter where Pittsburgh acquired Lawrence in exchange for first and fourth-round picks in 2025, and a second-rounder next year. But aside from parting ways from No. 16, the Jags would give up a sixth-round selection.

For the sake of transparency, the Steelers hold the 27th overall selection in this year's draft, so the Jags would be getting a low first-rounder in exchange for a quarterback they've allocated resources to.

From Pittsburgh's point of view, the deal makes sense as it would finally stop the revolving door behind center they've experienced since Ben Roethlisberger retired in 2022. Since then, Kenny Picket, Mason Rudolph, Mitch Trubisky, Russell Wilson, and Justin Fields have taken turns at center.

It's fair to say that Lawrence is much better than any of them at this stage of their respective careers, so the Steelers would gladly give up a late-round selection and even a second-rounder if that's what it takes to find stability at quarterback.

On the other hand, there were many reasons the rumors about the Jaguars trading Lawrence were quickly shut down.

Why the Jaguars would reject that Steelers trade proposal for Trevor Lawrence

The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Trevor Lawrence first overall in 2021. Although he's been far from perfect, he's played well enough that it seems like they don't have to worry about the quarterback position for the foreseeable future.

Granted, Lawrence is coming off a down season and he'll need to work on his mechanics and decision-making if he wants to bounce back. That said, he's already shown he can play like a top-10 quarterback and put the team on his back. With Liam Coan and Grant Udinski in his corner, the Knoxville, Tennessee native should have no trouble getting back on track in 2025.

This is a long-winded way to say that the Jags would laugh if the Steelers actually gave them a call about Lawrence, but according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN, they never did.

But for the sake of the argument, let's say that Jacksonville did entertain the idea of trading Steezy Trev and got the package FanDuel proposed: The 27th overall and a fourth this year, and a second in 2025. For starters, the first would be too low. The only advantage is that the Jags would have the chance to pick up the fifth-year option of the player they chose if he turned out to be any good.

It's also important to point out that the Jags aren't hurting for draft selections. As of this writing, they hold 10 picks, two in the third round and two in the fourth. But leaving aside the potential compensation, trading Lawrence would leave over $100 million in dead money even if they do it after June 1st, when they can split the hit in two years.

This begs the question, why would the Jaguars trade their franchise quarterback when that was one of the biggest appeals for coaching candidates? Furthermore, why would they do it just a few months after giving him a top-market extension with a massive signing bonus?

The bottom line is that trading Trevor Lawrence would leave the Jacksonville Jaguars back to square one when it comes to the quarterback position while hindering their ability to acquire or re-sign players. However you look at it, it wouldn't be worth the picks they're getting.

Grade: F (is there anything lower?)

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