Trevor Lawrence scripted history on June 13, as he became the NFL’s highest-paid player annually, matching Joe Burrow. The Tennessee native bagged a five-year, $275 million extension, with the Jaguars, a team yet to win a Super Bowl. Understandably, the deal looks formidable. However, seasoned broadcaster Mike Florio might perhaps disagree.
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The 59-year-old broadcaster, in his analysis, highlighted that the deal is only offering the Jaguars QB, “an average salary of $43.7 Million”, and not the $55 million as listed in the contract, which is lesser than Kirk Cousins’ 2024 deal.
Why is there a gap of $11.3 million? And how does he get lesser than Cousins? According to Florio, “when there is time left on a player’s contract, there is no such thing as an extension.” It is the same yardstick he used in determining the average salary of Trevor Lawrence.
The star QB initially signed a 4 year, $36,793,488 contract with the Jaguars in 2021. During the extension, they “ripped off” the previous contract and replaced it with the current contract, argued Florio. Understandably, this creates a financial difference.
“So, Trevor Lawrence had two years left under contract with the Jaguars. They tore it up, and they replaced it with a seven-year contract. And when you take into account what he was already due to make, his average over the next seven years is $43.7 million. From signing for a seven-year commitment, at some point Trevor Lawrence may say, ‘hey wait a minute, something is wrong with this picture. My $55M per year, it is not feeling like $55 million per year, and it is definitely not feeling like the top of the market.’ But that’s why the Jaguars did it,” Florio detailed his argument.
He further denoted that if the “$55M worth new money is added to what Lawrence was due to make, it will become $43.7 million, less than Kirk Cousins got from the Falcons on the open market.” Interestingly, the Falcons signed Cousins to a 4-year, $180 million deal in May, which offers him an annual salary of $45 million.
So, who benefited from this deal? Lawrence or the Jaguars? A close look at the contract details how the Jaguars successfully created a tactical move, by understanding the nuances of the QB market.
Did the Jaguars Benefit From The Trevor Lawrence Deal?
According to Sportac, the #16 quarterback’s extension includes a $37,500,000 signing bonus with $200,000,000 guaranteed. It offers him a base salary of $1,500,000, carrying a cap hit of $15,029,725 and a dead cap value of $148,029,725.
Even though the $275 million deal looks colossal on paper, the Jaguars seem to have studied the QB market and thought it was time to strike the deal. This is to ensure they pay Lawrence his salary much before $60 million a year becomes the new normal for QB contracts. Interestingly, this could be the reason for the extension move, despite 2 years remaining in his contract.
As a result, the Jaguars have now capitalized on Lawrence. With just one playoff win, a lot is left for Lawrence to prove in the NFL. But, the extension looks like a win-win for the QB and the Jaguars at this point.
