Trevor Lawrence Expected to Get a New Contract Around the Range of Lamar Jackson & Kyler Murray After Playing Through Injury in 2023

From being a first-overall pick in the 2021 season to having an injury-riddled season in 2023, Trevor Lawrence has had a roller-coaster ride. On four separate occasions last season, Lawrence suffered debilitating injuries to his knees, ankles, head, and even the shoulder. Despite the travesty, Lawrence managed to complete his season with 4,016 yards and 21 touchdowns.

The Jaguars had a winning season last year, and they finished 9-8. This being the final year of his rookie contract, Lawrence is now in his last season with the team. His optional 5-year deal with the team might leave some of the highest-paid QBs in the dust. For the most part, things seem positive between the QB, since GM Trent Baalke showed up to the OTAs.

Lawrence finished the season with a disappointing touchdown to interception ratio of 21-14. But the Jaguars are giving him the benefit of the doubt because he toughened up his act when it mattered. Despite falling prey to multiple injuries, the QB managed to play 16 games and lead the Jags to a winning season.

On October 15, 2023, Lawrence suffered a bruised knee in the week 6 game against the Colts but missed no playtime and persevered. However, as December came and the season end neared, Lawrence started running out of luck. Within 3 weeks, the QB had three different injuries in different games.

The first injury was on December 4 when he suffered a Grade 3 pedal ankle sprain in the week 13 game against the Bengals. The Jaguars lost that game 34-31 after it went to overtime. After nearly two weeks, he suffered a Grade 1 head concussion in the game against the Baltimore Ravens where he was placed in NFL concussion protocol. The Jags lost that game by a landslide, 23-7.

His final injury of the season came on Christmas Eve in the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he suffered a shoulder A/C joint sprain. Again, the team lost 30-12 to the Bucs abysmally. The Jaguars had a strong 6-2 start to their season, but things started going downhill in the second half of the season because of the injuries that Lawrence had to sustain.

These facts underscore how Trevor Lawrence is more than instrumental to the team. This is why many think he is close to getting a contract extension. Even NFL on ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Laura Rutledge are all for giving Trevor Lawrence a major extension.

“This one [trade] has made some progress I’m told that this is expected to get done not imminent or anything, but they’ve been talking and both sides are in a good place,” said Jeremy Fowler.

The analyst further added, “Even though he’s had a lot of turnovers in the last year, they’re not holding that against him because he really toughed out the second half of the whole season. He was really beat up, crushed I was told, and he fought through it to play so, he’s the franchise cornerstone. This will probably come in somewhere above $50 million.”

But it’s not just the ESPN analysts who are siding with Trevor Lawrence and feel good about his situation. The Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson also feels that the sooner the deal gets done, the better it is for the Jacksonville team.

Doug Pederson wants to focus on football

Trevor Lawrence did show up to the Jaguars facility. He wasn’t wearing braces or sleeves and was practicing without any restrictions. However, he opted to not speak to the media, let alone give them information about his contract status. However, unlike Lawrence, Doug Pederson chose to step forward and shed light on his situation to his best capability.

When asked about Lawrence’s contract extension, the HC said, “I think it’s part of the business,” and added, “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.” The QB is set to make about $5.6 million this year, including his base salary and roster bonus, per Spotrac. But next year, he might be in for an estimated payout of about $22 million. Right now, Spotrac projects his market value to be around $49.1 million, which is around what Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Dak Prescott earn.

The Jaguars know the facts and figures surrounding Lawrence, but don’t want to force this new deal. Even GM Trent Baalke opened up about how he feels about the deal. “You try not to force anything. We’ve had some great talks and great conversations. I spoke with his agency again last night. We’re working, but you can’t force this stuff,” said the Jags GM.

In the 2022 season, Lawrence played all the games, had 4,113 yards, and even made it to the Pro Bowl under the leadership of Doug Pederson. The team even went to the second round of playoffs in the same season. Maybe if Lawrence wasn’t plagued with so many injuries, they could have done it last season too. Since the QB has shown resilience amidst misfortune, the Jags might just make him one of the richest QBs in the league soon.