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Ben Arthur
AFC South Reporter
Trevor Lawrence’s mega extension is inevitable. Contract talks between his reps and the Jaguars’ top brass have been ongoing for months.
Before the 2024 regular season, the sides are expected to reach agreement on a deal that will make Lawrence one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. It will likely surpass $50 million in average annual value, just as Jared Goff’s new contract with the Detroit Lions did earlier this month.
“Obviously, the sooner you get it done, it’s behind everybody, and now we focus on football,” coach Doug Pederson said last week.
While Lawrence’s deal appears to be a given, what about elite play from the quarterback entering Year 4?
That’s what Jacksonville and the NFL world will be expecting from Lawrence in his third season with offensive guru Pederson. After seemingly ascending into true franchise quarterback status in the second half of the 2022 season, when the Jaguars won the AFC South and a playoff game, Lawrence took a step back last year. Inconsistency has defined his play since he entered the NFL in 2021 as the No. 1 overall pick.
In that span, he leads the NFL with 60 turnovers.
Pederson said earlier this offseason that cutting down on the giveaways is the biggest thing that Lawrence needs to improve. But it’s the play of the offensive personnel around him that may ultimately dictate if he can reach his full potential.
Near the top of the list is first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. With Calvin Ridley’s departure in free agency and Zay Jones’ release as a cap casualty, the former LSU star faces pressure to be a hit in Year 1. Ridley was not only Jacksonville’s lone top wideout to play all 17 games last season, but he also led the team with 1,016 receiving yards. And Jones, though he missed eight games due to injury, was a respected team leader. In 2022, when he played in 16 games, he had a career-high 823 receiving yards.
Thomas possesses…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/extension-looming-can-jaguars-qb-trevor-lawrence-put-all-together-2024
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Publish date : 2024-05-29 16:51:29
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