NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
The Jacksonville Jaguars entered offseason OTAs on Monday with a significant question looming over their upcoming season.
Will quarterback Trevor Lawrence start the season with a contract extension in hand? The answer as of Monday remained uncertain. Head coach Doug Pederson attempted to shed some light when asked about the situation but didn’t offer substantial insight.
“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,” Pederson told reporters. “I’ve just got to coach Trevor and coach football, and hopefully it gets done, and it will.”
What kind of extension will Lawrence demand?
As he enters his fourth NFL season, Lawrence is eligible for an extension to his rookie contract. The Jaguars have picked up the fifth-year option on that deal; he’s due $11.7 million this coming season and $25.7 million in 2025 via the team option.
While signing Lawrence to an extension is something of a no-brainer, the nature of a would-be deal is less so. Coming out of Clemson, Lawrence was considered as close to a can’t-miss prospect as a quarterback can be. The Jaguars drafted him first overall in 2021 in one of the most coveted draft slots in recent NFL history.
Trevor Lawrence runs a drill at Jaguars OTAs on Monday. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Lawrence struggled in his first season (12 touchdowns, 17 interceptions) under the chaotic reign of then-head coach Urban Meyer. With Pederson at the helm in 2022, Lawrence started to deliver on his promise with a 25-touchdown, eight-interception campaign that resulted in a Pro Bowl berth and helped lead the Jaguars to the second round of the playoffs.
In 2023 came unexpected regression. Lawrence’s touchdown-to-interception ratio dropped to 21-to-14, and the Jaguars collapsed from a 6-2 start to a 9-8 finish and missed the playoffs. Lawrence no longer carries that can’t-miss aura, but he’s unquestionably a better-than-average NFL…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/doug-pederson-trevor-lawrence-hopefully-signs-extension-with-jaguars-sooner-than-later-233248553.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-05-20 23:32:48
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
