What Trevor Lawrences extension means for Jaguars contention in 2024 and beyond

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's new mega deal can raise eyebrows at first glance.Despite a league-leading 60 turnovers since entering the league in 2021, a middling 85.0 pa ser rating, a 20-30 regular season record and just one playoff victory, Lawrence secured a five-year, $275 million extension from the last week. It ties him with the ' as the highest-paid player in league history in regard to average annual value ($55 million per year).The deal also includes $200 million in total guarantees, the fourth-most in the NFL, and $142 million fully guaranteed, third-most."I am beyond grateful to be able to continue my career in Jacksonville," Lawrence said last week. "I know that the best is yet to  Dwight Clark Jersey come and this is only the beginning. The drive to bring a championship to Duval is bigger than ever."ADVERTISEMENT  Don't let the numbers on the surface fool you, though. When you actually drill down, this looks like a team-friendly, franchise quarterback contract.By extending Lawrence now, with two years remaining on his rookie deal (2024 and 2025, his fifth-year option season), the Jaguars get the former No. 1 pick under contract for the next seven seasons. He was due $45.158 million combined in 2024-25 before the extension. So acro s the next seven years, his true average annual value is just over $45.7 million, which is more palpable for his rsum.And if Lawrence plays as Jacksonville hopes in 2024 (and beyond) with  Jason Verrett Jersey a revamped supporting cast, the contract could look like a bargain in the long term.What does Trevor Lawrence's deal mean for Dak Prescott?        Quarterback contracts are ballooning  the first $60 million-per-year player may come this offseason and it would've cost the Jaguars significantly more if they had waited to pay Lawrence."With this five-year extension, the vision we had when we selected Trevor first overall in 2021 has become a reality," general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. "Our objectives have always been aligned. As an organization, we have consistently me saged the importance of extending our core players, and Trevor is a foundational talent that we will continue to build around in our quest for a championship. With his talent, work ethic, leadership and competitive drive, we Laken Tomlinson Jersey  are confident the best is yet to come."Lawrence's cap hit for 2024 will be $15.029 million, which accounts for le s than 6% of the Jaguars' salary cap. His cap number is reasonable the following three seasons as well  at $17 million, $24 million and $35 million, respectively. That preserves Jacksonville's window of contention with the roster as currently constructed. Key contributors with large cap numbers like wide receiver , tight end , linebacker and defensive lineman are under contract through 2027.If Lawrence progre ses as expected, the Jaguars can rework his deal or give him another extension before his cap hit grows astronomical (it jumps to $47 million in 2028, then to $78.5 million). But drafting and developing is still paramount for Jacksonville over the next couple of seasons, so it can adequately replace aging veterans in the long term and contend with Lawrence approaching his 30s.During the offseason program, the Jags mixed young backups with starters during team drills, according to local media."Coach and I have talked a lot about this year's cla s in particular," Baalke said in January, referring to Doug Pederson. "The onboarding proce s of them, getting them up to speed, trusting them. You're in  Jerry Rice Jersey a developmental league now. You don't have time to say that we can shelf them for a year or shelf them for two years. You have to get them up to speed quickly."Did the Jaguars pay Trevor Lawrence too soon?       Lawrence's extension is as much about optics as it is about money.Historically, the Jaguars have had a losing franchise. Their best-ever quarterback before Lawrence was Mark Brunnell, a fifth-round pick in the 1990s who became a three-time Pro Bowler. The Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville also have a proposed $1.4 billion deal to renovate EverBank Stadium, raising the pre sure to sell tickets. Lawrence, who grew up in Georgia, represents a ma sive draw.Sure, he hasn't fully lived up to expectations. But he has flashed greatne s and led Jacksonville to back-to-back winning seasons and a playoff victory. From the franchise's point of view, there's enough there to justify the long-term investment.The Jaguars had to pay him."To get it done comfortably and amicably ahead of training camp, as with the long-term agreement we reached in April with , is a further statement that the Jacksonville Jaguars  Ahkello Witherspoon Jersey are committed to winning now and for many seasons to come," owner Shad Khan said.Now, the challenge for Lawrence and the Jaguars is consistent contention for the playoffs and beyond.Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tenne sean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered theSeattle Seahawksfor SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tenne see. You can follow Ben on Twitter at@benyarthur. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? 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