The Jacksonville Jaguars recently signed quarterback Trevor Lawrence to a massive five-year, $275 million extension, making him the highest-paid QB in the NFL alongside Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals. Both Lawrence and Burrow will earn $55 million per season. The updated list of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL now includes Lawrence, Burrow, Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions, Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers, Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles. Surprisingly, none of these quarterbacks have won a Super Bowl, despite some having limited postseason success.
Lawrence, now at the top of the list as the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, has only one postseason win in three seasons. Similarly, Burrow, who ties with Lawrence, has five playoff wins in four seasons. Goff, the oldest quarterback on the list, has five playoff wins in eight seasons, while Herbert has yet to secure a postseason victory in his four-season career. Jackson, a two-time MVP winner, has two playoff wins in six seasons, and Hurts has two playoff wins in four seasons as an MVP runner-up. Collectively, these quarterbacks have played 29 seasons and won only 15 playoff games, sparking questions about the correlation between big contracts and on-field success.
While it is challenging to find a franchise quarterback in the NFL and even more difficult to win a Super Bowl, the lack of championship success among the highest-paid quarterbacks raises concerns about the value of these massive extensions. Despite the importance of winning at the highest level in sports, the focus on future potential rather than past accomplishments seems to be driving these contract decisions. The pressure will be on Lawrence and the other top-earning quarterbacks to deliver results in the coming seasons, as failure to perform could quickly turn these lucrative contracts into liabilities for their respective teams.
In the NFL, the most revered quarterbacks are not defined by their earnings or regular season victories but by the number of championship rings they have earned. As the six highest-paid quarterbacks in the league today have yet to win a Super Bowl, their legacies may ultimately be defined by their ability to lead their teams to the pinnacle of success. The disconnect between the hefty salaries and lack of postseason accomplishments among these quarterbacks highlights the importance of on-field performance and the challenges of living up to high expectations in a competitive league. It remains to be seen whether Lawrence, Burrow, and their peers can deliver on the promise of their lucrative contracts in the seasons to come.
