The Detroit Lions’ announcement on Monday afternoon that they had re-signed franchise quarterback Jared Goff to a king-sized contract set the NFL world on fire. Goff becomes the highest-paid Lion in team history with the four-year, $212 million agreement, of which $170 million is guaranteed.
This agreement now sets the stage for other seasoned signal callers waiting for a new contract. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the players on the list are Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers, Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys, and Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins.
All four of those players have the potential to be the next quarterback to get a big contract, but only one stands out in terms of potential and resume.
Trevor Lawrence has every potential to be a top-shelf NFL quarterback
Lawrence has fared well over his first three NFL seasons, totaling 11,770 passing yards with 58 touchdowns, 39 picks, and a 63.8 completion percentage. Additionally, he has 964 rushing yards with 11 touchdowns on 4.7 yards per carry.
The Clemson alum also led the Jaguars to a historic comeback victory against the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2022 AFC Wildcard round. After tossing four interceptions and allowing the Chargers to gain a 27-point lead, Lawrence and Jacksonville looked down for the count. However, the 2021 first-overall pick completely flipped the script, throwing three touchdowns as he led the team to a 31-30 victory. It was the largest comeback in franchise history, and the third-largest in NFL playoff history.
The electrifying win was the moment when Lawrence officially cemented himself as a contender to be one of the league’s best passers over the coming years. Additionally, it gave him respect in the locker room, a core ingredient of being a franchise quarterback. Former Jaguars receiver Zay Jones publicly sang his praises after the win, via ESPN.
“Let me tell you something, man. I think from playing football, watching football, I know a lot of quarterbacks would’ve folded in that situation that he went through,” Jones said. “For him just to be as poised and composed as he was, it showed another side of who we have on this team. I mean, that guy right there, standing right there, that’s a special man.”
Although Jones is now on the Arizona Cardinals, the point still stands. Lawrence has all of the required characteristics of a quarterback deserving of a big payday. The 24-year-old is entering his prime, has a solid resume, and a signature moment where he showed his clutch gene on the big stage.
Love had a similar moment when he led the Packers to a shocking 48-32 victory over Prescott’s Cowboys in their NFC Wildcard match last season. The Utah State alum was surgical, completing 16 of his 21 passes for 272 yards, with three touchdowns and no picks. Love also didn’t take a sack, while recording a near-perfect 157.2 passer rating.
This was a game that Green Bay had little chance of winning on paper. Dallas was the second seed and had won 16 consecutive home games. The Packers had barely snuck into the playoffs as the seventh seed and weren’t seen as a legitimate contender in the conference. However, Love still led them to a dominant victory, ensuring himself at least one more season as “The Guy” in Green Bay.
While Love has shown promise, still doesn’t have as much of a track record as Lawrence. The 25-year-old spent the first four seasons of his career as Aaron Rodgers’ backup before finally taking the reins last season after the Packers traded Ro
While his NFL career is far from over, Dallas would be foolish to hand him a deal anywhere near Goff’s level until he proves that he can step up in the biggest moments.
The same goes for the Dolphins and Tagovailoa. While the Alabama alum has led Miami’s offense to plenty of regular-season glory, he’s also been bitten by the injury bug several times. Last season, when he was healthy for the playoffs, he led the team to a 26-7 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wildcard round.
All in all, Lawrence seems to be the safest investment out of these players. While they will probably all garner new deals shortly, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound gunslinger, should get the biggest payday.
dgers to the New York Jets. While Love put together a quality campaign, tossing 32 scores compared to just 11 picks, it takes more than one season to prove oneself as the long-term franchise quarterback.
While Love is also entering a contract year, he hasn’t done enough quite yet to justify a massive financial commitment. Green Bay should wait one more season before handing him a pot of gold.
Unlike Love and Lawrence, though, Prescott’s best days may be behind him. The 30-year-old has never led the Cowboys past the Divisional round in eight years with the team, despite posting quality regular season numbers annually. Unfortunately, Prescott may remembered as the type of player who could lead his team to the playoffs, but could never get them over the hump.
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