Trevor Lawrence's latest comments on contract status should keep Jaguars fans at ease

Getting an extension in the NFL can be a cause for stress. After all, players are always one injury away from not ever playing again. Thus, it's reasonable for them to seek long-term security. Trevor Lawrence, for one, isn't fretting about getting a new contract despite the fact that he's entering the last year of his rookie deal. Instead, he's making sure that he and the Jacksonville Jaguars bounce back from a disappointing end to the 2024 season.

Lawrence said on an appearance on NFL Network that he's got a job to do whether he gets an extension or not.

"It's something I'm not concerned with. I would love to get a deal done at some point, whether it's this year, next year, who knows? I'm not really worried about that," Lawrence said. "But obviously, you want to have some security and you want to make money. You want to play and do as well as you can. But the same time, I have a job to do regardless of whether I get the extension this year, next year, whatever it is, I have the same job and it's not going to change."

Lawrence continued, "I got to prepare myself to be the best player I can be next season and take us as far as we can go. I know that's my job, that's not going to change. So honestly, that's my team and our front office, Trent, and everybody to talk about that and figure out what's the best step moving forward for the team. First, obviously, myself as well, look out for yourself too, but I understand that there's a lot that goes into it."

"It's not just about me and my situation there we want to put our team in spots going so far that goes into it. I'm not even gonna think about it because I gotta play football. I got a job to do. No, that's not that's not my job."

Lawrence, the first overall pick in the 2021 draft, is already eligible to get a contract extension. General manager Trent Baalke previously stated that getting a new deal done was a matter of time. More recently, he said that the team would be "getting something done" at the appropriate time.

The truth is that the Jaguars may not be in a hurry to give Lawrence an extension. They can exercise the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, giving themselves a two-year window to engage in contract negotiations. And even if Lawrence doesn't have an extension by 2026, Baalke could use the franchise tag to buy himself another year.

When you take into account that outside linebacker Josh Allen and wide receiver Calvin Ridley are set to become free agents in March, sitting on the negotiation table with Lawrence may take a back seat. Add the fact that the star quarterback is coming off a somewhat disappointing season and the Jaguars will probably wait until 2025 to sit on the negotiations table. Here's Lawrence's full appearance on NFL Network.

The Jaguars can give Trevor Lawrence an extension without adverse effects

Trevor Lawrence may not be worried about getting an extension — at least publicly — but that doesn't mean the Jacksonville Jaguars should refrain from giving him one. They could give him a big signing bonus that would give him lots of money upfront but would only count against the cap until 2025-2026. It would be a strong gesture that would show how much they value their young quarterback.

Keep in mind that other teams such as the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Cincinnati Bengals gave extensions to Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow, respectively when both quarterbacks were in the fourth year of their rookie deals. Conversely, the Baltimore Ravens waited until Lamar Jackson's first contract expired and later applied the franchise tag. Ultimately, Baltimore and Jackson managed to get a deal done. This is to say that there's no universal path in negotiations.

In the end, the Jacksonville Jaguars must do what's best for the team but nothing is stopping them from giving Trevor Lawrence a new deal. It doesn't have to be either or, both propositions can coexist.

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