Earlier this offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars got a deal done with their best defensive player, Josh Allen. Now that Allen’s deal is done and the 2024 NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror, they can focus on extending their franchise quarterback, Trevor Lawrence.
While Lawrence has two years left on his contract, including the final fifth-year option, he has been eligible for an extension since the 2023 season concluded. Still, even with time on their side, the Jaguars have made it clear that the two sides are in talks and would like to get a deal done sooner rather than later. What could his future extension look like?
Projecting Trevor Lawrence’s Contract Extension
“I know I have a job to do regardless of whether I get this extension this year, next year, or whenever it is,” Lawrence said back in February. However, he opened up even more in April.
“There’s definitely been some conversations. We love it here, and I love where we’re headed as an organization, and I feel like I’m just getting better every year … I can’t lie, obviously, it’d be nice to have that done and feel good about it, but it’s not really the focus right now.”
According to Spotrac, Lawrence’s market value is $46.4 million annually on a six-year, $278.5 million deal. That would rank fifth in the NFL and fifth among quarterbacks. The highest-paid quarterback in the NFL currently is Joe Burrow, who is making $55 million per year on a five-year, $275 million deal.
Despite the contract projection, it’s likely Lawrence could still become the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. If the Jaguars want to lock him in for a long time, they’ll likely have to follow the way the market is going, which is up.
Heading into 2024, the Jaguars have $34.2 million in cap space. In 2025 they then have $35 million, then in 2026 they’re set to have $128 million. That will all change, however, as different moves are made around the roster.
How Can the Jacksonville Jaguars Build Around Lawrence?
The 2024 offseason saw a lot of change for Lawrence’s supporting cast. Most notably, they lost Calvin Ridley in free agency and cut Zay Jones shortly after the draft.
The Jaguars did, however, pick wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and signed Gabe Davis in free agency. They also retain Christian Kirk, Travis Etienne Jr., and Evan Engram. All in all, their offense consists of Thomas, Davis, and Kirk at receiver, Engram at tight end, and Etienne at running back.
The biggest way the Jaguars can help Lawrence now is to improve their offensive line. In 2023, Jacksonville had one of the worst offensive lines in terms of both pass protection and run blocking. The only major change made was signing veteran center Mitch Morse to replace Luke Fortner, who was one of the worst centers in the NFL in 2023.
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Essentially, the Jaguars are counting on Morse improving the entire line as much as Fortner had brought it down. If it works, the Jaguars will be in a good spot going forward, especially on the offensive side of the ball. If it doesn’t, though, they could be in need of help at all three spots on the offensive line pretty quickly.
