Super Bowl 59 is over and speculation season has begun for the NFL. Free agency deals and trades aren’t technically allowed until March 12, but fans and media members alike have already put plenty of hypothetical transactions into the universe.
The latest is that the Pittsburgh Steelers will make a trade for quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Steelers Offered 1st and 2nd-Round Picks for Trevor Lawrence
The Jaguars selected Lawrence with the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and the quarterback has had a roller-coaster first four seasons. He struggled in his rookie year when he led the league with 17 interceptions under head coach Urban Meyer. The team brought in Doug Pederson in 2022 and Lawrence looked like a new person.
He made the Pro Bowl, won the AFC South, and made the Divisional Round in one of the better bounce-back seasons in recent memory. That year Lawrence threw for 4,113 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
Lawrence and the Jaguars got off to a hot start in 2023 going 8-3 before collapsing at the end of the season. Jacksonville finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs by a game. The poor finish was disappointing, but it didn’t deter the Jaguars from extending their young quarterback.
Lawrence inked a five-year, $275 million deal with the Jaguars last offseason, paying him an average of $55 million annually and making him the highest-paid QB in the NFL at the time. Now, he’s tied for the second-highest-paid QB in the league behind only Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, who is earning $60 million per year. Lawrence’s deal includes $200 million in total guarantees.
2024 was another tough season for Lawrence playing in 10 games while throwing for 2,045 yards, 11 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He came in at No. 31 in PFSN’s QB+ metric, six spots behind his backup, Mac Jones.
Lawrence struggled under pressure this season (33rd; -0.48) and ranked 37th converting third downs (30.3%). His other numbers weren’t as bad, but the cumulative impact is that Lawrence’s grade was the second-worst of his career, ahead of only his rookie season.
Now, let the trade speculation begin as the Steelers have reportedly “made inquiries” about the quarterback, according to media personality, Ryan Burr.
Steelers have made inquiries to the @Jaguars about a trade for QB Trevor Lawerence. This directly from the horses mouth in the Jags organization. WOW!
— Ryan Burr (@RyanBurr)
This tweet is the jumping-off point for Lawrence speculation. Pittsburgh needs a quarterback, but the return value seems steep after an injury-plagued, poor season.
Steelers would deal this years #1 & #2, but with draft in Pittsburgh next year I would be very surprised if next years #1 is even on the table. https://t.co/g7VswZYwOn
— Ryan Burr (@RyanBurr)
That’s a lot of draft capital to give up, but it could be necessary given how late the Steelers are picking.
Pittsburgh needs a change at quarterback as Russell Wilson and Justin Fields combined for 3,588 yards, 21 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Wilson was ranked No. 17 in the QB+ metric and Fields was unranked after starting only six games.
The Steelers are a logical trade partner for Lawrence, but it seems extremely unlikely a deal would happen, especially since the Jaguars just paid Lawrence a monster deal.
Hey guys. The Jaguars aren't trading Trevor Lawrence for a first-round pick just to eat $100M in dead cap. https://t.co/BXGazPua36
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher)
Jacksonville just brought Liam Coen in on a big price tag and the new head coach said Lawrence is a major reason why he took the job.
It seems unlikely the team will trade its franchise quarterback, but this may be a sign that the Steelers will be major players in the QB market this offseason.
