Playing in the NFL was not Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence's dream growing up

Earlier in the offseason and before he got an extension, Trevor Lawrence said that getting paid would be nice but wasn't his main priority. After months of negotiations, though, the Jacksonville Jaguars made him a massive deal that made him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. While he's blessed to get such a contract, he says that wasn't his end goal.

Lawrence told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated that he appreciates getting a new deal but doesn't think that getting paid signals his arrival as an NFL quarterback. He goes on to say that he had other goals and aspirations growing up.

"As a kid, I just dreamed of being a college quarterback. Growing up in the South, college football is a bigger deal than the NFL. That was my dream as a kid, so I didn’t even get this far as a kid. I’m grateful, obviously. Along the way, you realize it, as your dreams are coming true, and you keep going forward into the future, and think about how far you can take this. "

Lawrence told Breer that he's certainly grateful about the money but having the support and full faith from the organization is more important, "And to be backed by Mr. [Shad] Khan and Trent [Baalke] and Doug and all the people that are involved in making that decision, that feels as good as anything."

Lawrence, the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, got off to a slow start to his career, but that was mostly due to having Urban Meyer as a coach. Once Doug Pederson took over, the former Clemson Tiger showed notable improvement. By the end of the 2022 season, he had joined the conversation about the best quarterbacks in the league.

However, injuries last year led to a dropoff in Lawernce's performance. The fact that he didn't have much talent around him put additional pressure on his shoulders. Ultimately, Jacksonville failed to make the playoffs, and his status as a top quarterback came into question.

But even after Lawrence's regression, the Jaguars' support for him never wavered. In fact, they began contract talks early in the offseason and focused on getting a deal done as soon as possible. Having checked off that box, the star quarterback can now focus on becoming the best player he can be.

The Jaguars have full confidence in Trevor Lawrence

Before Trevor Lawrence signed his extension, some analysts suggested the Jacksonville Jaguars would be better off waiting to see how he performed in 2024 before giving him a new deal. This would have made sense if they didn't know what kind of player they had but they had already seen enough of him to know that he's their guy.

As Lawrence pointed out, there's no bigger proof that they trust him than giving a massive contract extension. They could've easily put things off and waited until he became a free agent in 2026 to give him a new deal. However, it served no purpose, so they went ahead and paid him.

The truth is that giving Lawrence a new deal benefits both parties. By getting it done right now, the fourth-year quarterback doesn't have to go into the season having to think about it. Moreover, it shows other players that the Jaguars are willing to reward their playmakers. Last but not least, the organization saved itself plenty of money by striking a deal two years before his rookie contract expired.

So far, Lawrence has accomplished more than he would've imagined growing up. After getting a massive extension, he'll have a chance to prove he's one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

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