The Jacksonville Jaguars have done a good job of locking up their homegrown talent in recent years. Having already taken care of Trevor Lawrence, Josh Hines-Allen, and cornerback Tyson Campbell, they can turn their attention to Travon Walker, who's already eligible for an extension. Based on Liam Coen's recent comments, the Jags could get a deal done sooner rather than later.
Coen met with the media at the 2025 NFL Owners Meeting and said that the team has had fluid conversations about potentially extending Walker.
"Yeah, we're having opening conversations, and at the end of the day, we'll continue to have those," Coen responded when he was asked whether Jacksonville plans to give Walker a contract extension. "James and Tony and I will have those as we go, for sure."
Later in the conversation, Coen said that Walker has been pleasant to talk to whenever the two have had the chance to chat.
"We've had a number of hour-long conversations with Trey, I feel a guy that wants to go be great, that wants to continue to take the next step. And I could feel that from him. Sounds like a guy that just wants to work, does things the right way. So I'm excited about working with him. He's really been pleasant to talk to," Coen said.
The first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Walker had a quiet rookie campaign but has logged a combined 20.5 sacks the past two seasons. Based on his constant improvement, it wouldn't be shocking to see him post a career year in 2025.
Granted, Walker hasn't been nearly as dominant as Aidan Hutchinson, who went to the Detroit Lions one pick later in 2022, but he's more than come on his own. That's why the Jags should strongly consider giving him an extension before prices skyrocket.
Heck, Walker has been so productive that he's been the subject of trade chatter, even though the Jaguars aren't entertaining offers and have zero incentive to move him.
Here's Coen's full exchange at the owners meeting. His remarks about Walker start at the 29:48 mark.
Why the Jaguars need to get ahead of the curve with Travon Walker
Already, fellow pass rusher Myles Garrett got an extension that pays him an annual salary of $40 million. Of course, Walker isn't in the same echelon as the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, but teams would surely pay a premium for him if he hit the open market. They may not make the Thomaston, Georgia native the highest-paid player ever in the history of the NFL, as Jaguars voice Brian Sexton suggests, but he could certainly command a salary of $30 million or higher.
Travon Walker's contract runs through 2025, but there's a 99.0 percent chance the Jacksonville Jaguars will pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie year. That will allow you to keep him at a manageable salary the next two years. Taking that path, the Jags won't have to extend him until 2027. The issue with that strategy is that salaries for pass rushers will have gone up by then.
For that reason, the Jaguars' brass would be better off getting an extension this offseason. They'll shift the injury risk to the team but could save themselves lots of money if they give him a new deal and spread the signing bonus throughout its duration, which would, in turn, decrease his cap hits every year. That's what they did with Trevor Lawrence.
Sure, You could make the case that Travon Walker hasn't done enough to warrant a new deal, but they took that approach with Josh Hines-Allen and it cost them millions. They could just get a deal done with Walker and fully focus on the 2025 season.
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