Trevor Lawrence Is Signing With Adidas, Joining Mahomes, Rodgers

Eben Novy-Williams and Scott Soshnick
·2 min read
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Trevor Lawrence, the former Clemson football star and presumptive No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL draft, is signing with Adidas, according to multiple people familiar with the plans.

One of the most anticipated NFL prospects of the past decade, Lawrence will join an Adidas football roster that includes star quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes. He’ll wear Adidas cleats on the field—most likely as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold the first pick of the draft—and will also appear in marketing for the German sportswear company.

Excel Sports Management, which represents Lawrence on the marketing side, declined to comment. Lawrence’s agent Jay Courie didn’t immediately respond to an email and voice message. A representative for Adidas said the company doesn’t comment on “rumor or speculation.”

Specifics of the deal aren’t known. Apparel contracts for NFL rookies typically pale in comparison to those signed by their NBA counterparts, but the 21-year-old quarterback is far from a typical prospect.

Lawrence played three years at Clemson, leading the Tigers to the College Football Playoff in each one. He won one national title, was a Heisman Trophy runner-up, and ended his college career 34-2 as a starter. He is expected to be picked No. 1 overall by the Jaguars in the draft on April 29.

Though Lawrence wore Nike at Clemson, he’s previously expressed his affinity for Adidas. The company “hands down has the best shoes/gear out right now,” Lawrence tweeted in 2016. Earlier this month he attended the Masters golf tournament wearing an Adidas shirt.

The sneaker world’s biggest brands spend months wooing the top NFL draft prospects, from the end of their college careers to the league’s pre-draft combine and often through the draft itself. Though many of those deals aren’t finalized until after prospects are selected by NFL teams, the biggest stars—like Lawrence—often sign prior to the draft.

Nike, Adidas and Under Armour are the three dominant brands for NFL prospects, but Under Armour is scaling back its sports sponsorships, including the recent termination of its NFL licensing deal.

Other Adidas football athletes include Alvin Kamara, Tua Tagovailoa and Juju Smith-Schuster.

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