Trevor Lawrence appears on unflattering list (and the Jaguars are at fault)

The Jacksonville Jaguars don't have to worry about the quarterback position for the foreseeable future due to the presence of Trevor Lawrence. They're so confident that he's the long-term answer behind center that they gave him a blockbuster extension in 2024. That said, the Jags haven't won much since then, which has led Brad Gagnon to name him their most overpaid player.

Gagnon named the most overpaid player for each NFL team and mentioned Lawrence for Jacksonville, pointing out that he's left much to be desired since being drafted first overall in 2021.

"He's the third-highest-paid player in league history, and yet the Jags have won a total of 22 games with Lawrence in the four seasons since they drafted him No. 1 overall in 2021. In that span, the injury-prone and inconsistent 25-year-old has been the league's fifth-lowest-rated qualified passer."

Lawrence certainly struggled as a rookie, completing less than 60 percent of his passes. Having said that, he landed in conditions that were less than ideal for his development. Aside from not having a good supporting cast, Urban Meyer was the head coach back in 2021.

Once Meyer was given the boot, Doug Pederson was brought in to help Lawrence. The move paid immediate dividends, with No. 16 raising his game and playing a pivotal role in Jacksonville's trip to the playoffs. Expected to take the next step in 2023, he had to carry the team on his back and be nearly perfect to win. Still, the Jags went 8-3 to start the season. But once Lawrence got hurt, it all came to an abrupt halt.

Nevertheless, the team's brass showed full confidence in their quarterback in 2024 when they gave him a five-year extension worth $275 million. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Lawrence regressed, and the Jags managed to sink even lower. And what started as a promising season ended in the dismissal of Doug Pederson and Trent Baalke.

Related story: Trevor Lawrence expected to play a role in Jaguars' Cinderella story

What are the Jaguars doing to help Trevor Lawrence in 2025?

Trevor Lawrence enters Year 5 needing to prove he's the quarterback the Jacksonville Jaguars expected when he was drafted first overall in 2021. Working in his favor is that he's got the full support of the franchise. In fact, the whole offseason has revolved around putting him in a position to succeed.

To make it happen, the Jags hired Liam Coen as the head coach and James Gladstone as the general manager. The former will get the most out of him, like he did for Baker Mayfield when he was the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The latter will build a roster that takes pressure off his shoulders. And that's the thing: the Jags have been too dependent on their quarterback.

Sure, Lawrence's mechanics and decision-making weren't great last year, but the regression was notable because the rest of the team was dreadful. This is a way to say that Lawrence has failed to win many games, but that's because he hasn't gotten enough help from his supporting cast and the team. This in turn makes his 22-38 record as a starter look uninspiring.

In the same breath, the decision to give him a multi-year extension doesn't look great. Heck, you could even make the case that the Jags haven't gotten enough bang for their buck. Conversely, you could argue that they haven't done enough to get the most out of their investment.

In the end, though, Lawrence appears to be overpaid because he hasn't won enough, and that's what ultimately matters. Is it fair? Probably not, but that comes with not only playing the most important position in football but also being the face of the franchise. If the Jacksonville Jaguars want to change that, they'll need to help him more.

Until then, Trevor Lawrence will continue to appear on the list of the most overpaid, overrated players in the NFL.

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