Eagles' Jalen Hurts agrees to five-year, $255 million extension, becomes highest-paid player in NFL history

www.cbssports.com ^ | April 17, 2023 | By Bryan DeArdo

[Red Badger]

Hurts' average annual value of $51 million is more than any other player in league history

Jalen Hurts has parlayed his breakout season into a history-making contract. The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $255 million, according to CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. The deal, which reportedly includes $179.304 million in guarantees and a no trade clause, makes Hurts the highest-paid player in NFL history in terms of average annual value.

Hurts was heading into the final year of his rookie contract. A second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Hurts helped the Eagles clinch a playoff berth in 2021, his first year as the team's starting quarterback. Last season, Hurts turned in an MVP-caliber season while winning 14 of his 15 regular season starts.

In the playoffs, Hurts completed 66.7% of his passes with three touchdowns and no picks. Despite dealing with a lingering injury, Hurts put together one of the best individual efforts by a quarterback in Super Bowl history in Super Bowl LVII. Against the Chiefs, he threw for 304 yards and a touchdown while completing more than 71% of his passes. Hurts also ran for three scores to tie Terrell Davis' 25-year-old Super Bowl record.

Hurts follows the Giants' Daniel Jones and the Seahawks' Geno Smith as the third quarterback this offseason to land a lucrative extension. Cincinnati's Joe Burrow and the Chargers' Justin Herbert are also expected to get extensions before the start of the regular season.

Of course, there's the ongoing contract drama between Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Jackson recently asked for a trade after Baltimore placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on the former league MVP. Jackson is reportedly hoping for a deal that will include at least $200 million guaranteed.

[chuck allen]

And one terrible playoff loss ruined it all. That wasn’t elite QB play.

[Old Yeller]

Mahomes better renegotiate for $1 billion per year.

[21twelve]

“Well I should at least get more than that guy in Denver with the losing record.”

[cherry]

racism at its finest...if I were that guy I’d be calling Ben “Crumb”....

[Diplomat]

You listed the league’s best QBs, and none of them are the top paid. Hurts is now top paid. But next are all team salary kilers. They are Rogers, Wilson, Watson and can’t remember the other QB being paid more than Watson.

[ohioman]

As a life-long Bama fan, Jalen is one of my all-time favorite Bama players. He dealt with losing his starting QB job to Tua with absolute class. He also learned from it and worked hard to get better. You can tell he is the son of a hard-nosed Football coach. I must admit that it felt strange to pull for Oklahoma after he played there for a year.

[Dr. Sivana]

You listed the league’s best QBs, and none of them are the top paid

By definition, most of the best uoung QBs will still be on rookie contracts. Aaron Rogers is still elite, but isn’t young so he isn’t on the list.

It looks like QB development and scouting is just better and better. Brock Purdy, Mr Irrelevant, is likely to be an above average QB who can win a Super Bowl on the right team. Jalen Hurts is a top level QB gotten for a song in the second round. Mahomes himself was not a very top pick. Busts like Trubisky (I think) went ahead. There will always be busts like Trubisky and Darnold, but there is more great talent than I ever remember seeing at QB.

[SuperLuminal]

History pretty much dictates that the Eagles will have to be renamed the Hummingbirds by the 3rd year of this absurd contract...

[Albion Wilde]

I'd congratulate the man; but according to CRT, he's oppressed.

[dfwgator]

Now Herbert needs to start winning playoff games.

[dfwgator]

The Arkansas Razorback football team once had a player with the last name Dicke. Another named Goode and another Love.

[chuck allen]

Watson is highest paid guaranteed contract at $230 Mil.

[caww]

No athlete is worth that - period. Or what they pay them.

[SunkenCiv]

Cleveland just raised the bar in the already-set bad signing standard started by Houston regarding Deshaun Watson.

[Diplomat]

Rogers is done imo. But if he’s still elite and many feel he is, will the Jets trade for him to try to pass Buffalo in the division? I wouldn’t because at $40 mil it’s too much when you could get the with 4 mil journeyman qb.

The other guy making more a year than Watson is Kyler Murray.

[Dr. Sivana]

Rogers is done imo. But if he’s still elite and many feel he is, will the Jets trade for him to try to pass Buffalo in the division? I wouldn’t because at $40 mil it’s too much when you could get the with 4 mil journeyman qb.

The other guy making more a year than Watson is Kyler Murray.

Depending how the deal is structured, the Jets may not have to pay the $50 million on Rogers' contract. He is a Packer on contract for another year. The Packers already ate signing bonus money (even if it is spread out). If the Pack gets (say) a first rounder and a second rounder from the Jets (the Jets have two second round picks), they may be willing to eat some money. The Rams gave up two #1s AND a very serviceable Goff for Stafford in part because of Goof's largish contract. But except for the occasional Brock Purdy or rookie contract guy, you aren't going to get a playoff level QB for $4 million a year. Look how much journeymen like Wentz went for recently ($32 million). Yes, you could get Foles for $6 million, and you can win a Super Bowl with him, but probably won't. He's not Trent Dilfer, but he also isn't Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers was hurting this year, so we don't know if he still has it. That might be a good enough reason not to pull the trigger.

I view Kirk Cousins as the median QB, half are better, half are worse. Cousins averages over $25 million/year, so an exatra 10% of the whole salary cap is what you have to spend for this year to get a veteran elite QB. Any rookie is a crap shoot (Mahomes vs. Trubisky) or takes time to develop or build around (Tua), or starts out promising bit never matures (Kyler Murray).

[thefactor]

"No athlete is worth that"

The billionaires who run the multi-billion-dollar league that is wildly popular in the US and around the world disagree with you.

[caww]

Still does not justify those earnings - guys kicking, throwing, batting balls of various sizes around a field of play. Ummm-mmm not worth those incomes. Not when you consider real men who put their life daily on the Line so those players can play. From police, to fire fighters, paramedics, border control agents etc.etc.etc.

[Fuzz]

Basic economics.

[thefactor]

In the real world, people are worth what it costs to replace them. It’s a lot cheaper to replace a cop or teacher than it is to replace an NFL QB who has been to a Super Bowl or to replace the shortstop of the NY Yankees. That’s the way our economy works. Millions of people pay good money to see Hurts play. Good NFL QB’s bring in millions of dollars to their local economies when they consistently win games. If he wins even one Super Bowl, this deal will be a bargain.