Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence became eligible for a contract extension this offseason, and head coach Doug Pederson says that an agreement between the two sides will be reached eventually.
“I think it's part of the business,” Pederson said, via Eric Edholm of NFL.com. “Obviously the sooner you get it done, right, it's behind everybody, and now we focus on football, and so that's not lingering and that's not out there. I know (Jaguars GM) Trent (Baalke) and (Lawrence's) agent, they've continued to talk and will talk, and they're working hard and tirelessly. I've just got to coach Trevor and coach football, and hopefully it gets done, and it will.”
Prior to the NFL Draft last month, Baalke said that progress had been made in contract talks with Lawrence but that it couldn't be forced. In other words, it's a process.
The Jaguars looked like AFC contenders during the first half of 2023, as they were 8-3 at one point. However, they lost five of their last six games to finish 9-8 and ended up missing the playoffs entirely.
Does Trevor Lawrence deserve to secure a massive deal with Jaguars?
Jacksonville selected Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, and at the time, he was regarded as a generational prospect.
Big things were expected from the Clemson product right off the bat, but instead, Lawrence put forth a pitiful rookie campaign, throwing for 3,641 yards, 12 touchdowns and a league-worst 17 interceptions. He also completed just 59.6 percent of his passes and posted a passer rating of 71.9.
The following season, however, Lawrence displayed monumental progression, totaling 4,113 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight picks while completing 66.3 percent of his throws and registering a 95.2 passer rating. What's more, he led the Jaguars to an AFC South division title and even guided them to a thrilling comeback win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
As a result of Lawrence's huge step forward in his sophomore season, significant expectations were placed on Lawrence and the Jags going into 2023. Unfortunately, Lawrence and the club folded under the expectations. Lawrence regressed, finishing with 4,016 yards, 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while completing 65.6 percent of his passes and recording a passer rating of 88.5.
In fairness to Lawrence, he dealt with various injury issues throughout the year, but even when he was healthy, he was very underwhelming.
So, is the 24-year-old really worth a massive pay day in spite of really only having one good season in three years? Based on his talent, what he showed in 2022 and the quarterback market in general, he will likely earn a gigantic deal regardless of what people think.
It's true that Lawrence has been relatively disappointing thus far, but the question is, would Jacksonville really find anyone better to man the quarterback position? The Jaguars will likely bank on Lawrence's potential and open up their wallets for him. It's been a long, long time since the Jags had a true franchise quarterback, and a legitimate argument can be made that they've never really had one if you don't count Mark Brunell.
Taking those factors into consideration, Lawrence will likely earn his big deal. If not this offseason, then next year.
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