Jacksonville Jaguars handed out some new contracts this offseason and have stars on both sides of the field covered. They handed out new deals for quarterback Trevor Lawrence and linebacker Josh Allen, both former first rounders.
Allen signed a five-year, $150 million contract, while Lawrence became the highest-paid player in NFL history with a five-year, $275 million deal.
Lawrence commented on the both of their deals and the importance of keeping Allen in Jacksonville.
"I think it's just big to reward guys for playing really well, especially in a situation like Josh," Lawrence said (via NBC Sports). "He had to have a great year last year and he did it. He had 17.5 sacks and to really be able to do that and put his best foot forward at this point in his career, I feel like he's gotten better every year. It's exciting and I think you build around that."
Allen's 17.5 sacks last season were a franchise record. The two-time Pro Bowler has 45.0 sacks, 53 tackles for a loss and 103 quarterback hits in 74 career games.
Lawrence gave a shoutout to other players on the team who are helping them towards their goal. He said players like linebacker Foye Oluokun, tight end Evan Engram, receiver Christian Kirk, offensive lineman Brandon Scherff, safety Andre Cisco and cornerback Tyson Campbell are solid pieces to keep the team moving forward.
"[There are guys] all over the field that bring something unique to the table that we need, but of course Josh is a big one on defense," Lawrence said. "Having a guy that for us two, we're going to be here and got the contract, we're kind of going to align as far as the time we're going to be here and we know we can count on that. It's important for us to be on the same page, which we have been, of just leading and what the message is for the team. How we want to carry ourselves because we're going to be here for a while."
Lawrence said he plans to bring a championship to Jacksonville and seems to feel he can do that with the squad he has.
The Jags went 9-8 last season, missing the playoffs. Since Lawrence arrived in 2021, they have made the playoffs once, advancing to the divisional round during the 2022 season. He struggled with giving the ball away last year and did not win in any of his last five starts, but does rank high in franchise history in a number of categories, including wins (20).
