Jaguars and new left tackle Cole Van Lanen agree to 3-year extension, AP source says

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — 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.

Van Lanen started the last eight games for Jacksonville (12-4), which has won seven in a row and eight of nine heading into Sunday's regular-season finale against Tennessee (3-13).

Van Lanen started a 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 receiver Jakobi Meyers. Meyers signed a three-year, $60 million deal in mid-December.

The 27-year-old Van Lanen was originally drafted in the sixth round by Green Bay in 2021. He was traded to Jacksonville in 2022 for a seventh-rounder the following year.

He's 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.

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