The franchise quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, has had an inconsistent third season, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are allegedly still “all in” on him.
The Jaguars are determined to sign Lawrence to a long-term contract deal, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
On Sunday on SportsCenter, Fowler stated, “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.
“Although it’s not imperative to get it done right now—he’s three years into his rookie deal—Jacksonville, I’ve been informed, is rather dedicated to trying to get this done. They are all in on Lawrence; they have been in communication, but this deal will also likely be in the $50 million level.”
In 2023, Lawrence completed 4,016 yards of passing with 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. His interception percentage increased from 1.4 percent to 2.5 percent, almost doubling, and it was only 0.3 percent less than his terrible rookie campaign.
Entering his fourth NFL season, it’s reasonable to be concerned about Lawrence’s sustainability as a true franchise quarterback.
Many dismissed Lawrence’s rookie season as the result of unfavorable circumstances, citing Urban Meyer’s unsuitability as an NFL head coach and his lackluster supporting cast as the main causes.
Nevertheless, it is concerning that Lawrence declined in 2023 as opposed to rising to superstar status. Three years into Lawrence’s career, we have one poor season, one excellent season, and one perfectly average season.
According to the entire sample, Lawrence is more akin to an NFL starter who is a shade above average than a superstar. Although teams don’t usually want to spend $50 million on that kind of player, Lawrence, who is 24 years old, plays what is perhaps the most valuable position in sports.
Given that Mac Jones was a cheap backup addition made by the Jaguars this offseason, it shouldn’t affect Lawrence’s situation. Jones has virtually no chance of unseating Lawrence after two seasons as one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks.
