3 biggest winners from Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence's top-market extension

The Jacksonville Jaguars know they have a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. That's why they felt comfortable giving him a top-market extension even though he's only played three seasons and is coming off a somewhat underwhelming campaign.

The five-year deal is worth $275 million with $200 million guaranteed. Because it's an extension that added years to his current deal, Lawrence will be under contract until 2030. That means he'll be getting an annual average of $44 million for the next seven years.

All things considered, it's a win-win situation for both the star quarterback and the Jaguars, who had struggled to find stability at the position for a long time. Having said that, Steezy Trev isn't the only beneficiary of the mega extension. The deal will also have a positive impact on other parties, including the next three.

The Jaguars are a big winners from Trevor Lawrence getting an extension

When was the last time you could say the Jaguars had a true franchise quarterback? You would probably have to go to the late 1990s/early 2000s, when Mark Brunell was their starting signal-caller. After moving on from Brunell, the organization had trouble finding a suitable replacement.

Whether the Jags looked in the draft or free agency, they came out empty-handed... that is until the drafted Trevor Lawrence first overall. Looking back, they were lucky they clinched the top pick in the draft because the former Clemson Tiger was the only stud quarterback in the 2021 draft.

Imagine Jacksonville had landed Zach Wilson or Trey Lance. Their fortunes might've been completely different. Granted, Lawrence struggled as a rookie but that was mostly the product of playing for a head coach that was more interested in getting frisky than leading the Jags. Once Doug Pederson came aboard, the Prince showed he could keep up with the best in the league.

As a matter of fact, Lawrence has been one of the top quarterbacks in the league the past two years. Unfortunately, injuries and the lack of talent around him made it difficult for him to stand out. However, the Jaguars are aware that he wasn't the reason they didn't qualify for the playoffs in 2023.

The top brass most certainly wants him to cut down on the number of lost fumbles — he had seven last year — but other than that, they're sure he's their guy. Otherwise, they wouldn't have given him such a pay bump.

Other QBs set to get paid are winners from the Trevor Lawrence extension

The demand for quarterbacks outweighs the supply. Simply, not enough signal-callers are coming out of the collegiate ranks to meet the NFL's demand at the position. That's why clubs will fork out immense amounts of money to secure the services of even a mediocre one.

Daniel Jones, a subpar quarterback, secured a contract in 2023 that pays him an annual average of $44 million. If the New York Giants hadn't given him a deal, another team probably would have. In Lawrence's case, he's already proven that he can play at a high level, and the more the Jaguars waited, the higher his payday would have been.

Just last May, Jared Goff got a new deal. Jordan Love, Dak Prescott, and Tua Tagovailoa are in line to get a new contract. If the Jaguars hadn't paid Lawrence before them, he would've been in a position to ask for more. Because he got paid first, Love, Prescott, and Tagovailoa have legitimate leverage in contract talks.

This is to say that Jacksonville saved money by being proactive. Other teams will now have to pay more. But if you look at it from the players' side of things, they'll benefit from Lawrence getting a new extension. Don't be surprised if any of those quarterbacks who are set to get paid get a bigger contract than Lawrence's.

Trent Baalke is also a beneficiary of the Trevor Lawrnece extension

During his stint as the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers, Trent Baalke had a reputation for being difficult to work with. That's why the Jags raised eyebrows when they hired him to replace Dave Caldwell.

Since getting the job in 2021, Baalke has shown instances of being stubborn. He was reportedly the reason Byron Leftwich didn't want to fill their head coach vacancy in 2022. More recently, he made negotiations with outside linebacker Josh Allen more difficult than they should've been.

If that wasn't enough, Baalke failed to take responsibility for not adequately building the roster in 2023. On the other hand, he's also demonstrated that he can be a competent general manager. He did a fine job addressing most of the roster needs in the offseason, and he did it without having to overspend. Similarly, he zeroed in on contract talks with Trevor Lawrence early in the offseason and got a deal done.

And that's the thing, Baalke is a tough negotiator but wasted no time locking up the most important player on the Jaguars roster. While he most definitely deserve flaks for his misses, he should also get recognition for being proactive in contract talks and not fumbling the bag with Lawrence.

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