Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has responded to reports that he could be traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was previously claimed that the Steelers had enquired about a trade for Lawrence as the franchise attempted to solve their quarterback dilemma.
Lawrence, 25, is one of the highest-paid players in the NFL, but it was suggested that Pittsburgh hoped to tempt Jacksonville into a trade after an injury-hit season for the signal-caller. The Steelers lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, but most of their season centred around head coach Mike Tomlin switching between Justin Fields and Russell Wilson at quarterback.
Steelers fans may have hoped that Lawrence would solve their problem. However, the Jaguars star admitted to being worried by the rumours and revealed his relief at not being traded to the Steelers.
“That’s funny. You know, I didn’t really see anything. My agent texted me and … said, ‘Hey, this is a report that is out there. I don’t think there’s anything to it, but I’ll check into it,'” Lawrence told the Up and Adams Show.
“So I saw it, and it’s funny though. Like, when he sent it to me, I was like, I wouldn’t say your heart drops, but you’re kind of like, what? And then I’m thinking about how I can’t even get – I have a no-trade clause in my contract, so I would know about it if I was getting traded, or if that was something that was gonna happen, you know, I’d have to be on board with it. Which I’m not.
“I’m happy here in Jacksonville. I plan on, you know, we want to win a Super Bowl here, and I think we can do that. And I don’t want to leave Jacksonville. So I’m happy here, obviously not going to Pittsburgh.”
The Steelers had planned to start the regular season with Wilson, but an injury meant that 25-year-old Fields led Pittsburgh to a 4-2 start instead. After earning his place back, the more experienced Wilson, 36, initially oversaw a 6-1 run, but the Steelers later lost four consecutive games before being dumped out in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Lawrence, who dealt with a shoulder injury and also suffered a concussion during the season, was part of a Jaguars side that ended the regular campaign with a disappointing 4-13 record.
However, when the reports of a possible trade surfaced, he quickly received a vote of confidence from new Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen, who replaced Doug Pederson in January.
“Liam texted me, actually, I guess the day after it came out, and Liam said, ‘Shouldn’t even have to say this, but that’s not coming from us.'” Lawrence said. “I was like, Yeah, I figured. So we’re all good. He didn’t even have to send that. There was no doubt on my side.”
“Like I said, we love Jacksonville,” he added. “This is home for us, and there’s a lot more on the football side that, you know, we’ve yet to accomplish here, and I’m excited about what we’re building. The future is very bright, and I want to be the guy here for a long time.”
Pittsburgh’s search for a quarterback continues, and owner Art Rooney II has admitted that the team may look to draft a new recruit. “We’ve got a whole quarterback room to fill, and so there’s jobs open in there,” Rooney said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we look at the draft, as well, either this year or next.”
