Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence Says There's No Added Pressure After Record $275M Contract

Trevor Lawrence knows playing quarterback in the NFL always comes with plenty of pressure, so the Jacksonville Jaguars signal-caller doesn't plan on feeling the weight of any additional outside expectations after signing a record-setting deal.

"Playing quarterback in this league is pressure anyways," Lawrence said Thursday, per ESPN's Michael DiRocco. "I guess on the outside there's going to be a bigger expectation with the long-term deal and being the franchise quarterback and having the contract. It might change how other people look at it. But for me, I think I've kind of carried that responsibility anyways.

"Being a starting quarterback in this league is a big responsibility and the team goes as you go, and I know that. So, I'm not going to add any pressure to myself just based on getting this contract. It doesn't really change what I expect of myself and what the team expects of me."

DiRocco noted Lawrence's five-year extension that starts in 2026 will pay him an average annual value of $55 million, which is tied with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow for the NFL record.

The new deal also features $142 million fully guaranteed, which puts him in third in the NFL behind Deshaun Watson's $230 million and Burrow's $146.5 million.

Lawrence may not feel the weight of outside expectations, but they will certainly be there when he takes the field in 2024.

After all, the future looked nothing but bright for the Jaguars during the 2022 season when he was a Pro Bowler who finished seventh in MVP voting and led the team to an AFC South crown. As if that wasn't enough, he directed a stunning comeback from a 27-0 deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round.

Even though Jacksonville lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in a tightly contested Divisional Round game, it seemed to be turning the corner as a long-term contender.

The start of the 2023 campaign did nothing to change that, as the Jaguars began with an 8-3 record and seemed to be on cruise control to another postseason appearance. Yet they went 1-5 in the final six games as Lawrence dealt with ankle and shoulder injuries in addition to a concussion and missed the playoffs.

The Clemson product completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 4,016 yards, 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, which were solid numbers but also highlighted the turnover concerns. In fact, he finished with an NFL-worst 21 turnovers last season and will need to bring those totals down if he and the Jaguars are going to reach their full potential over the course of his deal.

Jacksonville is in the AFC South with young and talented quarterbacks in place with C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson.

It will be up to Lawrence to not only keep pace with those signal-callers but surpass them as the Jaguars look to turn the corner into realistic Super Bowl contenders while he plays on a head-turning contract.