We mentioned back in February that extension talks between the Jaguars and former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence were expected to begin. Tuesday, thanks to Grant Gordon of NFL.com, we learned that those conversations have been taking place lately, according to Lawrence.
Lawrence’s road to NFL stardom got off to a rough start after he led the league in interceptions as a rookie. He rebounded in his sophomore campaign, leading the Jaguars to the playoffs and captaining an incredible comeback win over the Chargers in the wild-card round.
2023 saw a bit of a fall back down to reality, but Lawrence is unconcerned about last season or what it could mean for his new potential contract. According to Lawrence, the extension is not at the forefront of his mind.
“There’s definitely been some conversations as far as where that’s at now,” Lawrence told the media earlier this week. “It’s not really my focus. I’d love to obviously be a Jag for as long as possible. … But … going into my fourth year, it’s not like this is necessarily going to be my last season.”
Lawrence is referring to the fifth-year option included in the rookie contracts of all first-round picks. Jacksonville has yet to make a determination, something it will be required to do this offseason, but it’s a near guarantee that the team will pick up his option, giving them this year and potentially next year, as well, to work out a long-term contract.
Regardless of when it occurs, Lawrence appears focused on the work at hand. “It’s not really my focus right now. At the end of the day, my job isn’t going to change whether I get extended or not before this season. My job is to go win games and to be the best I can be for this team so we can have a chance to win the Super Bowl. Even if I get the contract extension, that’s still my job. Even more so. There’s even more expectation and pressure on that. For me, I have the same focus and the same mindset.”
While Lawrence is excited about the potential of earning his first big NFL contract, the 24-year-old is being realistic about what it will take to get the money he desires.
“I can’t lie. Obviously, it would be nice to have that done and feel good about it, but no, it’s not really the focus right now,” he said. “I know where we’re at, I know where we’re heading, and I know what I have to do. I know there’s some improvements that I have to make going forward.”
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