The Florida Times-Union

Podcast talks QB, stadium deal, OTAs

- Tim Walters

When my late grandmothe­r used to see how much money profession­al athletes made, she referred to the salaries as “telephone numbers.”

She also would look at an NFL stadium on game day and say, “I’d just take a dollar a head.”

She wasn’t greedy: $70,000 would have been enough for her.

However, when you think about it, if you take a telephone number and start with the area code (without dialing 1 first), the 10 digits would make up a number starting in the billions.

Jacksonvil­le Jaguars owner Shad Khan is worth so much, his net worth dials that “1” first, having 11 numbers: $12,200,000,000.

That’s $12.2 billion to simplify. That’s a lot of spending power.

Khan and the city of Jacksonvil­le just reached an agreement on a stadium renovation deal that would keep the Jaguars in Jacksonvil­le for the next generation.

Of the $1.4 billion (there’s that word again) deal, Khan will pick up $625 million of the tab. That’s on top of the super yacht he recently purchased for $360 million dollars. (In fairness, he recently sold his old one for $158 million.)

If spending nearly a billion dollars (does it lose its meaning at some point?) on two items isn’t enough, Khan and the Jaguars have another large expenditur­e coming: the contract extension for Trevor Lawrence.

Some have speculated that could run in the half a billion dollar range (don’t worry, Trevor. You’ll get that other half before it’s all said and done).

If you’ve ever read Khan’s history, you know he has earned every penny. He’s the true American dream.

However, he still has big dreams — including one money can’t necessaril­y buy — a Super Bowl title.

At age 73, he’s got time to win one, but his best chance since owning the team for more than a decade might lie ahead in the 2024 Jaguars.

Lawrence is heading into the prime of his career. They’ve given him plenty of offensive weapons. The defense has been shored up. The future looks bright.

The Jaguars were 9-8 each of the past two years, making the playoffs once.

On this week’s “The *State* of Florida Sports Podcast,” we tackle a range of subjects dealing with the Jaguars with Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonvil­le.

We discuss the aforementi­oned stadium renovation­s, and what fans should expect from the palatial makeover. We’ll look at Trevor’s impending deal: When will it get done and for how much?

How good is this rookie class, led by first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr.?

And how favorable is their schedule, which was released last week?

If you love the Jaguars, NFL, or Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, then you have to listen to this podcast.

Find out why so many fans have checked us out and why our guests and journalist­s give you the best sports breakdowns in the state.

And hear why feedspot.com ranked us the No. 1 sports podcast in the state of Florida.

We can be downloaded wherever you listen to podcasts, or simply type in “The *State* of Florida Sports Podcast” into your favorite search engine. We also can be found on any of the 17 USA TODAY-Network Florida websites.

If you like it, you can check out previous shows, which feature current and former profession­al athletes and coaches, as well as our stable of journalist­s who cover beats and write columns, all of whom have a tie to the Sunshine State.

 ?? BOB SELF/FLORIDA TIMES-UNION ?? Jag owner Shad Khan and QB Trevor Lawrence talk to the media after he was drafted No. 1 overall on April 30, 2021.
BOB SELF/FLORIDA TIMES-UNION Jag owner Shad Khan and QB Trevor Lawrence talk to the media after he was drafted No. 1 overall on April 30, 2021.

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