The Jacksonville Jaguars and new starting left tackle Cole Van Lanen agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension Friday, a person familiar with negotiations said.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither side confirmed the deal. ESPN and NFL Network reported the extension was worth $51 million and included $32.5 million guaranteed. Jacksonville confirmed that it signed Van Lanen to a new deal on Saturday morning.
Van Lanen started the last eight games for the Jaguars (12-4), who have won seven in a row and eight of nine heading into its Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Tennessee Titans (3-13).
Van Lanen started one game at left guard, two at right tackle, one at right guard and then the last four at left tackle. He played so well in place of starting left tackle Walker Little that he supplanted Little at the position for this season and the foreseeable future.
Van Lanen is the team’s second pending free agent in the last three weeks to land an extension with Jacksonville, joining wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Meyers signed a three-year, $60 million deal in mid-December.
The 27-year-old Van Lanen was originally selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He was traded to Jacksonville in 2022 for a seventh-rounder the following year.
Van Lanen has been working his way up the depth chart since, with two different regimes identifying him as good enough to compete for starting jobs. He got his big break because of injuries and proved he deserved a full-time spot.
The Associated Press contibuted to this report.
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