Trevor Lawrence not distracted by looming deal with Jaguars

As he enters his fourth NFL season, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is eligible for a contract extension for the first time and expressed his desire to remain in Jacksonville "for as long as possible."

Speaking to the media on Tuesday at the beginning of the 2024 offseason program, the former No. 1 overall pick said his representatives have discussed a new contract with the Jaguars.

"We love it here and I love where we're headed as an organization and feel like I'm just getting better every year and my best ball's definitely ahead of me," said Lawrence, who has started 50 games over his first three seasons. "So, from that standpoint, obviously that would be great."

Since the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, NFL draft picks sign four-year deals, with teams holding fifth-year options for first-round selections. After a player's third season, teams must choose whether to exercise that option during the offseason.

May 2 is the deadline for the Jaguars to decide whether to pick up the option on Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne Jr. (No. 25 overall pick in 2021).

"It's not like this is necessarily going to be my last season (on the rookie contract)," Lawrence said. "There's a lot that could happen. 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 a Super Bowl."

Coming off a strong 2022 campaign (25 touchdowns, eight interceptions), the 24-year-old Lawrence played through injuries down the stretch last season and finished with 21 TDs and 14 picks. He also missed a start for the first time in his NFL career, sitting out a Week 17 home win against the Carolina Panthers.

Gearing up for the 2024 season, Lawrence said he won't let any contract talk get in the way of his preparation.

"I can't lie: Obviously it would be nice to have that done and feel good about it," Lawrence said. "But no, it's not really the focus right now. Even if I get the contract extension, that's still my job even more so."