After months of anticipation, the Jacksonville Jaguars have given Trevor Lawrence a massive extension that makes him one the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. One thing that frequently came up in discussions in the media was what kind of contract Lawrence was going to get.
Some analysts believed (and probably still do) that Lawrence didn't deserve a top-market extension. Others even suggested that the Jags should wait and see how he performed in 2024 before giving him a new deal.
In the end, the first overall pick in the 2021 draft ended up getting a five-year contract worth $275 million with $200 million guaranteed. That's the third-highest guaranteed in the NFL, and his annual average of $55 million is tied with Joe Burrow for the most in the league right now.
The extension starts until 2026, so Lawrence will be under contract through 2030. That will allow the Jaguars to focus on other areas of the roster for the time being. With that in mind, here are three immediate observations from the deal.
The Jaguars current regime is keeping their playmakers
Toward the end of his tenure with the Jaguars, former general manager Dave Caldwell became known for trading his best players away instead of paying them. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey, defensive end Calais Campbell, edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue, and running back Leonard Fournette were core pieces in Jacksonville at that time. Campbell traded all of them.
Having left the team devoid of talent, Caldwell was given the boot in 2021. His successor, Trent Baalke, has taken a different approach.
Even though Baalke is a tough negotiator, he'd done his best to reward the team's playmakers. Last year, he made Evan Engram one of the highest-paid tight ends in the NFL. This past offseason, outside linebacker Josh Allen followed. While Baalke dragged contract talks longer than he should have, he ended up giving Allen a monster extension.
During his tenure in Jacksonville, Baalke has also shown that he's not afraid to spend if he needs to. Back in 2022, he brought in several free agents, including Engram, who went on to fill key roles for the Jags. It's true that the general manager took a conservative approach, to a fault, last year. However, he realized that scared money doesn't make money and once again took his wallet out this offseason.
Lawrence was the latest beneficiary of Baalke's willingness to spend.
Trevor Lawrence must now live up to his end of the bargain
The Jaguars have done their part. Trevor Lawrence must now do his. He got off to a slow start in 2022 but finished strong, completing 69.71 percent of his passes for 2,274 yards with 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions in the last seven games.
Unfortunately, Lawrence wasn't able to build off of his success and regressed last year. He went from 25 to 21 touchdowns. But more concerning was that he had 21 turnovers, including seven lost fumbles. Then again, context is necessary.
The Knoxville, Tennessee native didn't simply stop playing well. He suffered several injuries in the second half of the season, including but not limited to knee and shoulder sprains, and the dearth of talent around him put additional pressure on his shoulders to deliver.
Trevor Lawrence was as good as they come before his injury and loss of Christian Kirk.
— Daniel Griffis (@DanDGriffis) June 13, 2024
The #Jaguars QB deserves his extension! pic.twitter.com/yBGf9cbZoL
While quarterbacks are expected to carry the team on their shoulders, Lawrence alone couldn't win games. His offensive line couldn't block for him, the running game was nonexistent, and the defense couldn't slow down opponents. Even the likes of Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow are going to have a hard time winning under those conditions.
On the bright side, the Jags realized they needed to help Lawrence and got to work in the offseason. They revamped the offensive line but also added a pair of new targets to his arsenal in Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis. On top of that, the top brass dismissed defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen and hired Ryan Nielsen to take his place.
With all those changes, Lawrence will no longer have to win games himself. But he'll need to play at a high level on a game-to-game basis. And that's the thing, he's had stretches of amazing play throughout his career. He now has to do it consistently.
The Jaguars know Trevor Lawrence is their guy
If the Jaguars wanted to, they could've played hardball with Trevor Lawrence. They picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, so he was under contract through 2025. They could franchise tag him the following year, and he would've become a free agent until 2027. However, the organization didn't see the benefit in waiting, so they struck a deal while the pan was hot.
Had Jacksonville waited more, his price would've only gone up. After all, the demand for quarterbacks outweighs the supply. Every time one signs a new deal, salaries at the position increase. Dak Prescott and Tua Tagovailoa are also expected to get new deals anytime soon. If either one (or both) had gotten an extension before Lawrence, he could've been in a position to ask for more money.
Leaving aside that the Jaguars would've had to fork out more money next year, they already know Lawrence was a franchise quarterback. That's why they built the offense around him while having as much carryover from last year as possible. That's not the kind of decision a team will make if they aren't convinced they got their guy.
In the Jaguars' case, they gave Lawrence a top-market deal because they believe he's their guy. Of course, he'll need to repay them by taking the next step. On the bright side, he shouldn't have trouble pulling it off. The former Clemson Tiger has already shown he can play at a high level. Moreover, he showed in 2022 that he's as clutch as they come when he helped Jacksonville overcome a 27-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Chargers in the playoffs.
Having put his John Hancock on the dotted line, Trevor Lawrence can solely focus on being the quarterback the Jaguars want him to be.