Coming off his third season in the NFL, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is eligible for an extention for the first time in his career.
The former No. 1 pick has been seen as a franchise guy and cornerstone piece since Jacksonville made him the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. That took somewhat of a back seat in 2023 with the Clemson product struggling more than his sophomore campaign.
Apparently, this has not impacted Jacksonville’s thought process relating to the 24-year-old signal caller. Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke indicated that contract extension talks with Lawrence have started.
“We’ve started discussions,” Baalke told the NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. “None of this stuff happens overnight. We’ll work diligently between the two parties to try to get something done.”
It’s going to be a tricky situation for Lawrence and the Jaguars. He has not played at the level of two other young quarterbacks in that of Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert who signed record-breaking deals last offseason. But he’s also seen as a franchise guy.
Trevor Lawerence stats: 63.8% completion, 11,770 yards, 58 TD, 39 INT
This past season saw Lawrence throw 21 touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions. He had tallied a split of 25 scores and eight picks the previous year. That’s not the type of regression you want from a young signal caller.
Related: Ranking Trevor Lawrence among NFL starting quarterbacks
What might a Trevor Lawrence contact extension look like?
Again, the Jags are not holding back in their public support for Lawrence.
“We do have the right quarterback,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Tuesday. “I’m excited for the future with Trevor, he’s excited based on the conversations we’ve had since the season.”
Burrow is currently the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL at $55 million annually. Herbert comes in second with an average annual salary of $52.5 million.
Regardless of the market dynamics and increased NFL salary cap, Lawrence is not looking at a contract in that range.
Instead, something similar to what Daniel Jones is earning on an annual basis with the New York Giants could be in the cards. That is to say, $40-plus million annually with more guarantees.