After weeks of keeping Hurts’ long-term future in Philadelphia in the dark, the Eagles make Jalen Hurts the highest-paid player in NFL history.
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. — Jalen Hurts’ future has been in question for some time now. Following their impressive Super Bowl appearance last year, the question quickly arose what the Eagles would do with Hurts. Rumors had swirled that he might make it onto the trade block and the team draft someone younger. It wasn’t impossible, as the team is due to suffer some serious losses to retirement and free agency.
Despite the massive question mark, the Eagles defied any and all expectations by inking Hurts to the largest deal in NFL history. Jalen Hurts signed a five-year $255 million contract extension that is set to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history. Hurts’ deal has $179.3 million in total guarantees, including $110 million fully guaranteed at signing and $126.5 million fully guaranteed by March 2024.
Hurts’ new contract also works in the first no-trade clause ever in Eagles history, a privilege held for the highest touted quarterbacks and star players. The Eagles have now sunk all their faith into Hurts, eliminating any need for a new quarterback or speculation about his departure.
Hurts, 24, can also earn up to $15 million in incentives, a piece of his contract that’s a testament to his agent. Hurts’ agent is Nicole Lynn, who marked her name in history as having the largest sports contract worked by a female agent. Hurts still has an additional year on his rookie deal as a 2020 2nd round draft pick. Now, the Eagles will have him locked up for well over six years.
Jalen Hurts has emerged as one of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks since his sophomore campaign in 2021. He led the Eagles to a 14-3 record in 2022 as well as a Super Bowl appearance. Last season he has proven himself as one the league’s best dual-threat QBs, throwing for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns while rushing for 760 yards along with 13 touchdowns. That performance landed him as an MVP finalist, and while not winning the award, his cult following in Philadelphia still stands.
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For over two years, Hurts has been the lifeblood of the team. The Eagles have opted to go all in on him, building the offense around a Hurts-esque style. That meant trading for AJ Brown and drafting Devonta Smith and other moves that set up Philly in prime position to win a Super Bowl. In fact, Hurts’ new contract more than trumps the previous record holder for Philadelphia– in Carson Wentz who signed a $128 million deal in 2019.
He had two signature performances throughout the 2022 season. One, against the Green Bay Packers in Week 12, where he hit triple digits in both rushing and passing yards in a 40-33 shootout. That night he passed for 153 yards and rushed for 157, dazzling fans on a Sunday night. The second, he saved the best for last in an impressive showdown versus the Kansas City defense in the Super Bowl. He completed 27 out of 38 balls for 307 yards and a touchdown. While losing the Super Bowl, he still impressed the Eagles brass enough to get him a major deal.
The quarterback market has been constantly growing at an exponential rate in recent years, and Hurts’ new contract is simply a byproduct of that. Expect the Birds to cut down in other positions, however the timing is impeccable. The team might have saved themselves some money in the long run as players like Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert start seeking contract extensions– ones that might be more pricey.
