As Lamar Jackson continues to be in a stalemate with the Baltimore Ravens over a new deal, the quarterback market is moving elsewhere. According to Ian Rapoport, Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles have agreed on a contract extension to pay Hurts $255 million over five seasons with $179.3 million guaranteed.
Hurts’ new contract with the Eagles makes him the highest-paid player in NFL history, with an annual average salary of $51 million. The new agreement also features a no-trade clause, the first such clause given to a player by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said during Super Bowl week that Hurts had nothing left to prove for a contract extension after a 14-3 season for the Eagles in which Hurts played like an MVP and led the Eagles back to the Super Bowl.
“I don’t think he has anything to prove [to be the long-term answer at quarterback],” Lurie told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio at the Super Bowl’s opening night. “He is an MVP-caliber quarterback, an incredible leader of the team on the field, off the field. He’s 24 years old, incredibly mature and, most importantly, driven to be even better. What we’re seeing today I think is just the beginning for Jalen. This guy will attack every weakness as he has since high school, since college. The future is bright and very exciting for all of us.”
Jalen Hurts can make up to $274.304 million through incentives on his new contract.
At first glance, this deal is likely the floor for the deals that Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert will get soon. However, it’s also likely the final nail in the coffin for Lamar Jackson’s bid for a fully guaranteed deal.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said that having Jalen Hurts on the field is “like having Michael Jordan out there.” Philadelphia has their MJ locked up now.
I’ll have more on the ramifications of the deal on the QB market as a whole later this afternoon.