The Jacksonville Jaguars took a step back this past season, missing out on the postseason after reaching the playoffs in the 2022-23 season. And one major reason for this could have been the inconsistent play from former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence.
Lawrence was largely expected to take a huge jump this past season after an impressive sophomore campaign a year before. But instead, he took a bit of a step back, both individually and from the perspective of overall team success.
It was a terrible season from him, throwing for 4,016 yards and 21 touchdowns. But he struggled with turnover problems throughout the year, throwing 14 interceptions which was far closer to his rookie year numbers than his numbers in the 2022-23 season.
The highlights jump off the page for Lawrence. It goes without saying that he can make every throw necessary on the football field if he is playing at his best.
But consistency has been an issue, which could have some fans questioning whether Lawrence will ultimately end up being the Jaguars answer long-term at the quarterback position.
The Jaguars and Lawrence have been discussing a contract extension throughout much of this offseason. And while that it still likely in the cards before the start of the 2024-25 season, the Jaguars made a move on Monday that will at least keep Lawrence around for the next two seasons.
The team made it official on Monday that they will be picking up Lawrence’s fifth-year option. He just finished his third season, meaning that he will at least remain in Jacksonville through the 2025-26 season. The team also picked up the fifth-year option of star running back Travis Etienne, who of course was drafted by the team the same year Lawrence was out of Clemson.
This move for the Jaguars is smart because it does buy the organization a bit more time to truly determine whether or not Lawrence is going to emerge as one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL as many have hoped that he would.
If you are Jacksonville, you don’t want to pay Lawrence as if he is an elite quarterback if the numbers don’t back that up, which they have not to this point.
Again, Lawrence can make all of the throws, and chances are he will break out in the next couple of seasons. But now, Lawrence just has to go on the field and prove it to his front office in order to get the big contract he seems to be looking for.
