Trevor Lawrence was bound to get a big second contract after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, according to Sportingnews.com The Jaguars took care of that business before his fourth season in the NFL.
Lawrence would have been in the final year of his initial four-year rookie deal. Now, he’s signed long-term as the franchise QB in Jacksonville despite some shaky play and making only one Pro Bowl early in his career.
Here’s breaking down how much Lawrence has made and will continue to make in the league as he tries to live higher up to expectations.
MORE: Breaking down the NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks for 2024
Trevor Lawrence contract history
Lawrence got the best rookie contract of any player drafted in 2022 with a four-year, all-guaranteed approximate $36.8 million deal. That draft value has gone up to $39.4 million for Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in 2024.
At signing, Lawrence was guaranteed approximately $27.6 million, which amounts to the first three years, or 75 percent of the total contract value.
Trevor Lawrence contract details
Lawrence was extended on a five-year deal worth $275 million. That puts him at an annual average salary of $55 million. In terms of total contract value and AAV, those numbers match that of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
It’s notable that Burrow, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2020, got a massive bump from the second contract signed by Kyler Murray, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2019. Murray got a five-year, $230.5 million deal from the Cardinals, averaging to $46.1 million a season, according to Sportingnews.com.
In contrast, the total and annual value of Lawrence remained static from Burrow’s base salary parameters, unlike what Burrow got in relation to Murray after succeeding him as the top pick. That means Burrow was well rewarded for passing the Bengals past Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the playoffs for an AFC championship in 2022.
Lawrence doesn’t have the same individual or team accomplishments as Burrow yet, having led the Jaguars to only one playoff berth as the AFC South champions, also in 2022.
For his guaranteed money, Lawrence ended up with $200 million, now the sixth quarterback to have that distinction after Dak Prescott set the new pace with $231 million in his new Cowboys contract. Also ahead of Lawrence in guarantees are the Browns’ Deshaun Watson ($231 million), Burrow ($219 million), the Chargers’ Justin Herbert ($218.7 million), and Mahomes ($210.6 million).
Lawrence is just ahead here, however, of now two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson ($185 million) and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts ($179.399 million), who were both also taken in previous drafts. No other QB taken in the first round of the 2021 draft —Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, or Mac Jones — will surpass Lawrence, as none are still on their original teams and all are trying to stick on second teams.
Lawrence’s career numbers need some work. His passer rating going into Week 3 of the 2024 season is only 84.9, putting him No. 29 among active QBs, which includes more seasoned veteran backups and bridges. He also went into his 53rd career regular-season start at 20-32, for a winning percentage of only .384.
For now, Lawrence got paid his big-money deal because of a rising QB market and the Jaguars’ belief that he has Burrow-like upside. Lawrence will have a few more seasons to prove it, however, as the earliest Jacksonville can get out of his contract without taking a hit in dead money is after the 2028 season.
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