The longer NFL teams wait, the bigger payday that awaits players once their contracts come to a close. Jacksonville is going to learn that the hard way.

Former Clemson Tiger Trevor Lawrence is the franchise quarterback for the Jaguars. While it’s come with some bumps in the road, he’s proved he can win in the playoffs and be the cornerstone the franchise needs.

Heading into 2024, Jacksonville picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract worth $25.7 million. That bought the Jaguars time into 2025 to work out a long-term deal, but also bought Lawrence time to see the money pile up.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff inked a four-year, $212 million contract Monday. That makes him the second-highest paid quarterback in football, only behind Joe Burrow in APY.

Comparing to Lawrence, Goff’s numbers are a bit stronger. He was second in passing yards last season with 30 touchdown passes. Injuries led Lawrence to have a down year, but a strong fifth season would force his payday to line up close to Goff.

The reality is neither Goff or Lawrence are the caliber of quarterback that say Patrick Mahomes is. That doesn’t define the market though, and Lawrence can increase his worth by tens of millions with a strong 2024 season.

Jacksonville made a massive investment the day it took the Clemson star No. 1 overall, and Lawrence will likely have another big investment coming his way next spring.