There has been some major money thrown around the NFL this offseason. Multiple players have signed record-setting deals, as the rising salary cap has led to some eye-popping numbers. On Thursday, another megadeal was agreed to between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence.
The two sides agreed to a five-year, $275 million extension. According to NFL insider Adam Schefter of ESPN, $200 million is guaranteed and Trevor Lawrence will receive $142 million at signing. With this extension kicking in in 2026, it means the Jacksonville Jaguars have their franchise quarterback under contract through 2030.
The $55 million annual average of the extension puts him at the top of the NFL, tied with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. He is the sixth quarterback to have an annual salary of at least $50 million, as Jared Goff joined that group earlier this offseason as well.
Guaranteed money is all anyone worries about in the NFL and Trevor Lawrence is the ninth quarterback to break the $100 million mark and the second to reach $200 million. The only other quarterback at that plateau is Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns.
There are some analysts who will argue that Trevor Lawrence hasn’t earned a deal of this size. He has a losing record to this point, going 21-31 since being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
His rookie season, the first 13 games of which were under Urban Meyer, shouldn’t even count. His short-lived tenure was a disaster in more ways than one. Under Doug Pederson, he has looked more like the No. 1 pick the Jaguars thought they were getting. Still an ascending player, Lawrence has proven, when healthy, that he can get the job done.
In 2022, he helped lead the Jacksonville Jaguars to the AFC South title and come back from a 27-0 deficit during Super Wild Card Weekend against the Los Angeles Chargers. The team got off to an 8-3 start last season before suffering a concussion and ankle injury.
Turnovers have been an issue for Trevor Lawrence in his career. If he can cut down on them, he will rise to that next tier of quarterbacks in the NFL. This is an important signing for the Jacksonville Jaguars, as it gives them a foundation to compete in the rapidly improving AFC South against the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans.
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