PHILADELPHIA — Quarterback Jalen Hurts’ rapid rise set a record on Monday.
He and the Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to a five-year, $255 million contract extension, which, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, includes a guaranteed $179.304 million. His average annual worth of $51 million is the largest in league history, putting him ahead of the likes of Aaron Rodgers ($50.3 million), Russell Wilson ($49 million) Kyler Murray ($46.1 million), Deshaun Watson ($46 million) Patrick Mahomes ($45 million).
It’s amazing to think how quickly things have accelerated: Hurts was drafted in the second round of 2020 as a backup to Carson Wentz and took over as a full-time starter in 2021 after Wentz was traded to the Indianapolis Colts. Hurts led the Eagles to a 9-7 record and a playoff showing that season with mixed individual scores totaling 26 touchdowns (16 passing, 10 rushing) to nine interceptions while finishing 26th in completion percentage (61.3). But he showed great improvement last season, putting together an MVP-level drive en route to an appearance in Super Bowl LVII.
The total value of his new deal is nearly double what the team gave Wentz in 2019 (four years, $129 million). Despite how bad things had rocked that state, the organization showed no hesitation in giving Hurts a massive paycheck—even agreeing to include the first no-trade clause in Philadelphia history.
“You have to look at the individual player, and that’s not critical to anyone we gave a contract to that didn’t work out,” General Manager Howie Roseman said in February. “But I think when we talk about Galen, we’re talking about a man we have tremendous confidence in, a man who we want to be here for a long time.”
Here are the key numbers that help explain the Eagles’ decision and how the deal will affect the franchise going forward:
$224.8 million: NFL salary cap in 2023, up nearly $17 million from last year.
Player salaries will rise again, and this is especially true of brokers. The going rate for the high end quarterback was about $40 million a year when Josh Allen and Dak Prescott of the Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys received extensions in 2021 and it has since ballooned to about $50 million a season.
The Hurts mark the high waters, but that won’t last long, especially with Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert, and Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow all eligible for new deals. As tempting as it might have been to let Hurts play in the final year of his rookie deal, where he was set to have a base salary of $4.2 million, the Eagles would end up saving money by getting an extension ahead of other QBs.
$64 million: How much Hurts will make during the 2024 season, according to NFL Network, including a $23 million signing bonus.
This is an indication that cap numbers will be manageable over the first two years in particular, allowing Philadelphia to retain talent around the quarterback position.
“You want to find something that he feels really good about, and at the same time that we feel good and surround him with good players. He knows that,” Roseman said at a scouting meeting in February. “…that doesn’t mean it won’t be a massive contract for him because he deserves it too.”
With receivers AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, and Dallas tight end Goedert under contract through at least 2024, the core of playmakers will be in place for the near term.
However, having a midfielder in a huge deal changes how the team is built. The Eagles plan to rely more heavily on draft picks to fill out the roster moving forward. They have six picks overall, including a pair of first-rounders, in the 2023 draft.
72.7: Painful achievement percentage inside the pocket in 2022.
That was leading the NFL after being ranked 32nd in that category in 2021, according to ESPN Stats & Info. This illustrates his huge improvement as a passer in his second season as a full-time starter. Hurts jumped to 11th (66.5%) in overall completion percentage while his average time before throwing dropped from 3.12 seconds (31) to 2.76 seconds (16).
He joined Joe Montana, Drew Brees, and Phil Simms as the only quarterbacks to complete 80% of their passes from the pocket in the Super Bowl.
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18: Hurts total rushing touchdowns last season, including playoffs, was the most by a QB in NFL history ahead of Cam Newton in 2011 (14) and Cordell Stewart in 1997 (13).
His ability to slice through defenses on the ground and in the air puts the opposition in trouble every game.
“It’s so rewarding to have a dynamic quarterback who’s a great leader and someone special and someone who’s really hungry to not just win it once but win it many times,” said Eagles CEO Jeffrey Lowry. “
His 15 rushes, 70 rushing yards, and three rushing touchdowns in the Super Bowl are all records for a quarterback.
24: Omar Hurts.
He quickly grew to a leadership position, gaining the confidence of coaches, players and management alike. Coach Nick Siriani has stated on multiple occasions that no one knows exactly what Hurts’ ceiling is, but he is confident he will reach it due to his dedication to the craft.
“The future is so great for him. He’s 24. Honestly, I don’t know if you’ve met someone mature at 24,” Lowry said. “I like to think I own — my son is 27, and he’s very mature — no, Galen is the meanest 24-year-old I’ve ever come across.
“The thing I’m so hopeful about with Galen is that he has this incredible passion…for being exceptional. You see that in the greats.”