The Jacksonville Jaguars entered the offseason OTAs on Monday with an important question for their upcoming season.
Will quarterback Trevor Lawrence start the season with a new contract extension in hand? The answer remained uncertain as of Monday. Head coach Doug Pederson tried to shed some light when asked about the situation, but offered no substantive insight.
“I know (Jaguars GM) Trent (Baalke) and (Lawrence’s) agent, they have kept talking and will talk, and they are working hard and tirelessly,” Pederson told reporters. “I just have to coach Trevor and coach football, and hopefully it gets done, and it will.”
What kind of extension will Lawrence demand?
Now entering his fourth NFL season, Lawrence is eligible for an extension to his rookie contract. The Jaguars picked up the fifth-year option on that deal; he is due $11.7 million next season and $25.7 million in 2025 via the team option.
While signing Lawrence to an extension is somewhat of a no-brainer, the nature of a potential deal is less so. Coming out of Clemson, Lawrence was billed as close to a can’t-miss prospect as a quarterback can be. The Jaguars drafted him first overall in 2021 in one of the most coveted draft slots in recent NFL history.
Lawrence struggled in his first season (12 touchdowns, 17 interceptions) under the chaotic reign of then-head coach Urban Meyer. With Pederson at the helm in 2022, Lawrence began to deliver on that promise with a 25-touchdown, eight-interception campaign that resulted in a Pro Bowl berth and helped lead the Jaguars to the second round of the playoffs.
Then, in 2023, an unexpected regression occurred. Lawrence’s touchdown-to-interception ratio dropped to 21-to-14, and the Jaguars collapsed from a 6-2 start to a 9-8 finish out of the playoffs. Lawrence no longer has that can’t-miss look, but is undoubtedly a better-than-average NFL quarterback with the physical tools and upside to be great.
In a world where quarterback competence is in short supply, it’s a status that requires a lucrative deal. The pressure to sign Lawrence to an extension is less intense this season. If they do not reach an agreement in 2024, the two sides will have time to find a solution next season. But signing sooner or later has its advantages.
Will Jaguars and Lawrence reach a deal this offseason?
The market for quarterbacks will only increase. Locking in rates for 2024 makes sense if the Jaguars feel they can reach a fair deal. This could ultimately seem like a bargain if Lawrence’s long-term performance comes close to living up to the hype. Getting a deal done now would also end a season of speculation about Lawrence’s long-term future in Jacksonville.
“Obviously the sooner you get it done, it’s behind everyone, and right now we’re focusing on football, and so that doesn’t stick around and that’s not out there,” Pederson said Monday.
Baalke said in April that “we’ve had some great discussions and great conversations” with Lawrence’s representation, along with a caveat: “you can’t force this stuff.” Lawrence, meanwhile, has not said much publicly about the negotiations. He was at OTAs on Monday but did not address the media. He trained without braces or sleeves, a promising sign after an injury-plagued 2023 campaign that included a season-ending high ankle sprain.
For now, the focus can remain on that progress as the Jaguars look ahead to the season. But until a deal is done, the question about Lawrence’s long-term status in Jacksonville remains.
