Luke Fortner, Jacksonville Jaguars agree to contract terms

The Jacksonville Jaguars have high expectations for Kentucky center Luke Fortner. The AFC South franchise spent a third-round pick on the super senior to help protect Trevor Lawrence.

On Wednesday, both sides came to terms on a deal as Luke Fortner is set to become an integral part of the rebuild in Jacksonville with new head coach Doug Pederson taking over in Duval County.

Jaguars signed third-round draft pick Luke Fortner to four-year, $5.5 million contract that includes $1.18 million signing bonus

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) May 25, 2022

First reported by Aaron Wilson of the Pro Football Network, Luke Fortner is now officially a new part of the young rebuilding core in Jacksonville. Trevor Lawrence is the face of the franchise, but now the organization is surrounding the No. 1 overall pick with complementary pieces. The Jags spent big in free agency, have seen the return of former first-round pick Travis Etienne to the field, and added Fortner to be the center of the future in Jacksonville.

At a $1.375 million average per year, Luke Fortner will be called upon to be a likely immediate contributor as a rookie. Currently, the newcomer is just looking to learn quickly on the job.

“First and foremost is the complexity and the volume of stuff you have to learn, be familiar with in the offense,” Fortner told Joe Thomas of the NFL Network. “Number two, it’s cliche, but the speed of the game. It obviously speeds up incredibly. Everything goes a little faster: the quarterback is making calls faster, the offensive line is moving faster, the defensive line is moving faster. It’s the speed of the game and mental capacity for sure.”

Luke Fortner is learning but now has a bank account that is supporting him as he begins his professional football journey.