NFL Rumors: No 'Sense' Jaguars' Belief in Trevor Lawrence 'Shaken' amid Contract Buzz

Jacksonville Jaguars star quarterback Trevor Lawrence has struggled over the past few weeks, but that reportedly hasn't affected the team's confidence in him as its franchise quarterback.

"While I don't sense Jacksonville has been shaken in its belief that Lawrence is the franchise cornerstone for the next decade, he simply needs to play better," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Wednesday. "His penchant for turnovers is alarming--he's averaging 1.3 per game this season, up from 1.0 last year. Eight of his 19 turnovers this season have come in the past three games."

The Jaguars are 8-7 and in the midst of a four-game losing streak, putting them in a three-way tie atop the AFC South with the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans. Lawrence has been banged up frequently and he suffered a shoulder injury in this past Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, putting his status for Week 17 against the Carolina Panthers in question.

Fowler went on to explain that Jacksonville is still likely to reward Lawrence with a huge contract despite the circumstances surrounding his recent struggles.

"This doesn't happen in a vacuum. Lawrence has battled several injuries over several weeks, and the entire offense misses [wide receiver Christian Kirk]," Fowler wrote. "But cleaner play over the final two weeks in a playoff push could assuage any concerns, real or not, about giving Lawrence the equivalent of an NBA max deal after three seasons."