Jacksonville Jaguars give three-year extension to former Stanford lineman

Since getting drafted by the Jaguars, Walker Little has become a core piece to the offensive line and earns himself the chance to keep proving himself in Jacksonville.

Oct 13, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Walker Little (72) during the second half of an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images / Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

After what has been a strong tenure with the Jacksonville Jaguars, former Stanford star Walker Little earned the chance to be a big part of the future as the team announced over the weekend that they agreed to a three-year, $45 million contract extension ($26 million guaranteed) with him, locking him up as a long-term protector for quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Little started his pro career as a reserve, starting only 21 of 51 games over his first three and a half seasons. However, after the Jaguars traded former starting left tackle Cam Robinson in October, Little became entrenched as the blind side protector for Lawrence and has impressed, leaving Jacksonville no choice but to extend him.

Originally expected to be a free agent after the season, Little will now bypass that and remain in Northeast Florida.

In the first four games that he has started this year, Little been very effective, as according to Pro Football Focus, he has only allowed one sack and three QB hits. Earning around $15 million per season for this contract, he is now in the top 15 in terms of highest earning left tackles in the league, a big raise from the $4.5 million he earned during this rookie contract.

Little's extension marks the fourth big contract that the Jaguars have handed out this season, previously extending quarterback Trevor Lawrence, defensive end Josh Hines and defensive back Tyson Campbell. Sitting at 2-10 after a week 13 loss to the Houston Texans, a playoff berth is out of the cards as the team now shifts its focus to building a core for the future.

A four year starter at Stanford, Little was the first true freshman to start at left tackle for the program since 2000, earning the Pac-12 Co-Offensive Freshman of the Year for his strong 2017 campaign. The following year, he started every game and was named a First-Team All-Pac-12 member in 2018.

His last two seasons were marred by both injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic as in 2019 he suffered a knee injury that kept him out most of the season before opting out due to the pandemic in 2020.

Now locked in long term, Little no longer has to worry about his contract situation and instead can focus on continuing to be the cog on the left side and keep Lawrence upright.