No drama right here: the huge contract extension that everybody anticipated Jalen Hurts to signal this offseason is COMPLETE. The Philadelphia Eagles formally introduced they’ve locked up their franchise quarterback by the 2028 season.
The five-year deal is value $255 million, in line with NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The settlement additionally contains “$179.3 million in ensures” and a no-trade clause. Hurts is the primary participant in Eagles franchise historical past to earn such a NTC, per a number of reporters.
It’s fairly wild that Hurts went from being 1) not completely solidified because the Eagles’ long-term reply beneath focus on this time final 12 months to 2) being the highest-paid participant in NFL historical past. However it’s extremely deserved, as we beforehand wrote:
REVIEW: In final 12 months’s model of this text, the theme was “Jalen Hurts can’t be the Eagles’ Plan A at quarterback.” And he wasn’t. The group had critical curiosity in buying and selling for Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson. To the Eagles’ profit, neither QB was wanting to play in Philly. And so as a substitute of creating a transfer to amass one other passer, Howie Roseman targeted his efforts on supporting his present quarterback. The strategy clearly paid off. Hurts was superior in 2022. He defied precedent and improved past lifelike expectation. Hurts proved able to thriving together with his passing capacity along with having the ability to do injury together with his legs. Hurts was the betting favourite to win NFL MVP proper earlier than struggling a shoulder harm that induced him to overlook two video games later within the season. Hurts simply would’ve received Tremendous Bowl MVP had the Eagles been in a position to beat the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
OUTLOOK: Hurts doesn’t flip 25 till August. Contemplating how he’s improved yearly courting again to varsity, he hasn’t even essentially hit his ceiling but. That’s one thing for the Eagles to remember as they determine to supply him an enormous contract extension. On the threat of sounding reductive, Hurts is only a winner. He was a giant purpose the group went 16-2 in his 18 begins. Hurts provides every part you possibly can actually ask for from a franchise quarterback. He’s advanced right into a high-level passer who doesn’t put the ball in hurt’s method. His mobility provides quite a lot of worth to the offense. He’s a terrific chief and his distinctive mix of confidence and composure appears to resonate together with his teammates. All informed, Hurts introduced himself as an elite quarterback in 2022. The Eagles ought to give him a ton of cash and belief that Hurts can have them in place to be annual championship contenders.
Hurts’ annual $51 million worth places him simply above Aaron Rodgers’ $50.3 million because the league’s highest-paid quarterback. There was no team-friendly low cost right here. And that’s not a knock on Hurts; the lifelike expectation ought to by no means have been for him to take much less cash than what the market dictated he’s value. That’s simply not one thing that basically occurs, outdoors of some shady stuff (learn: paying beneath the desk?) with Tom Brady when he was on the New England Patriots.
The Eagles doubtlessly did discover some financial savings by getting this deal completed earlier than the upcoming extensions for the likes of Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Justin Herbert. It’s attainable these gamers will get much more cash than Hurts. The market actually solely goes up annually so it ought to solely be a matter of time till Hurts is not the highest-paid QB.
The final time the Eagles gave out a record-breaking contract clearly didn’t work out as they totally meant. Carson Wentz devolved from franchise QB standing to being one of many worst beginning gamers at his place in the whole NFL. It’s at the moment laborious to check Hurts following an analogous path. However even when he unexpectedly does, Howie Roseman has demonstrated the power to pivot out of a foul state of affairs. In fact, the no-trade clause on this case might complicates issues.
Nonetheless, the Eagles shouldn’t be worrying in the event that they made a mistake by paying Hurts a ton of cash. Based mostly on the data at the moment accessible to them, this was all the time the right resolution. They know Hurts has the ceiling of being a Tremendous Bowl-winning quarterback.
