Former Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence is about to have more money than what most could even dream of, but one report estimates that he has lost more than $150 million already due to bad timing and ‘the business of football.’
Sports Illustrated’s Andrew Brandt wrote an in-depth piece on Trevor Lawrence and the seeming bad timing of which he has come to the NFL Draft.
In the piece, Brandt mentions several factors that have changed how much money Lawrence will be earning and factors that have gone against the Tiger quarterback.
The NFL, NFLPA 2011 CBA Agreement
Brandt notes that had the NFL and NFLPA not reached an agreement on rookie contracts back in 2011, there’s no telling how much money Lawrence would be making on his first contract.
Matt Ryan- as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft- made $70 million, for example.
"“In other words, had the NFL and NFLPA not agreed to drastically reduce top pick compensation, Lawrence would have, conservatively, made roughly $70 million more than on the predetermined rookie contract he’ll get instead,” Brandt wrote."
COVID year brings a smaller cap
Brandt also notes that the salary cap for the 2021 season is drastically being cut due to the decline in revenue during the 2020 season.
As a result, Lawrence will lose an estimated $5 million, if not more. Joe Burrow- last year’s No. 1 overall pick- signed a four-year deal worth $37.5 million. Lawrence’s contract is expected to be more in the range of $35 million for four years, but had the 2020 season been a regular year, you might have been looking at close to $40 million for the No. 1 overall pick.
NIL & waiting three years
The final way that Lawrence lost money, according to Brandt, is the rule that he must have three years out of high school before he could enter the NFL and the fact that the NCAA is just now coming around on its NIL agreement.
Lawrence couldn’t collect money off a professional contract while he was at Clemson and he wasn’t able to make money off his name, image or likeness because of the NCAA’s rules.
"“Opendorse, a social media platform that will be important to the NIL space, estimates that Lawrence could have been making roughly $15,000 per Instagram post alone during these past couple of years,” Brandt said. “Lawrence, who has nearly 800,000 followers on Instagram, would have had one of, if not the highest, ceilings of any athlete in the NIL era (were there an NIL era before now). Conservatively, Lawrence lost out on $3 million to $5 million of NIL earnings before NIL was “a thing” during Lawrence’s three-year waiting period required to enter the NFL.”"
Overall, Trevor Lawrence has lost more than $150 million according to Brandt’s report
There’s no doubt that Lawrence could’ve benefitted in a big way from NIL and there’s also no doubt that the CBA has hurt him in terms of what he could negotiate coming out of college and into the NFL, as well.
It’s interesting to think about what could’ve been, but the good news is that he’ll still have a chance to earn tons of money as he begins his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There are going to be hundreds- if not thousands- of companies and businesses looking for endorsement deals both in the Jacksonville area and nationally.
Lawrence is going to be able to make plenty of money- well past the agreements of his rookie contract- as a result of his name and image, and if he continues to perform at a high level, he could become the highest-paid player in the NFL just a few years from now.
Still, there’s no denying the irony and difficulty of his timing pertaining to those areas listed above.