Another massive quarterback contract extension could be on the horizon
With every passing quarterback contract extension, the numbers keep getting higher. Could this AFC quarterback find himself among the highest paid at his position? There are five quarterbacks in the NFL currently that are making at least $50 million per season; Joe Burrow, Jared Goff, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, and Jalen Hurts are all over the $50 million per year mark.
Well, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, another AFC QB could find himself signing a massive deal:
"ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the Jaguars are committed to inking Lawrence to a long-term contract extension.
- Jeremy Folwler / Tyler Conway, B/R
"I'm told that talks have been progressing fairly nicely, that certainly there's a hope among both sides that they can get this done," Fowler reported Sunday on SportsCenter. "He's three years into his rookie deal so not urgent to have to get it done right this moment but Jacksonville, I'm told, is pretty committed to trying to get this done. This will also be a deal probably above that $50 million range but they are all in on Lawrence, they've been talking.""
Could Trevor Lawrence be the next quarterback to sign a huge contract extension? And does he deserve over $50 million per year? Through three seasons in the NFL, Lawrence has started 50 games. He's compiled a 20-30 record and has thrown 58 touchdowns, 39 interceptions, and has earned a passer rating of 85.
For reference, former Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew has played in 49 games. He's thrown 59 touchdowns, 24 interceptions, has earned a passer rating of 90.2, and has gone 15-22 in 37 career starts. Trevor Lawrence did hav a bumpy rookie season in 2021, but no one faulted him for that. Former head coach Urban Meyer and his staff were objective disasters, so the Jaguars quickly pulled the plug on that experiment and brought in a Super Bowl winning head coach in Doug Pederson.
The Jaguars have gone 9-8 in each of Pederson's first two seasons, but 2023 felt like a huge step back. In fact, the Jags began 2023 with a strong 8-3 record, but obviously bottomed-out down the stretch. It's reasonable to think that Trevor Lawrence can regain some of that 2022 season or early 2023 year self in 2024 and beyond.
And it seems like Jacksonville thinks so as well. Through his first 12 games in 2023, Trevor Lawrence threw for 14 touchdowns against seven interceptions and saw his passer rating in the mid-90s. The Jags were 8-4 at that point and seemed to be in a great spot. However, Lawrence ended the season throwing seven touchdowns against seven interceptions. It was an unceremonious end to what was going to be a huge year.
It's not a bad process for the Jaguars to lock up Trevor Lawrence for the long-term, but is $50 million per season simply too much?