Jalen Hurts has taken the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl, and sometime in the near future he is going to get a massive payday from the team as a reward.
Eagles CEO Jeffrey Lurie said this week that Hurts has nothing left to prove when it comes to getting a new contract extension, and that Hurts is “just what they’re looking for” in a franchise quarterback.
“I don’t think he has anything to prove,” Lurie told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio. “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.”
Lurie did not go into details on when those contract talks would kick into high gear, only to say it will not be happening during the Super Bowl week.
Hurts is scheduled to make $4.2 million as a base salary next season.
His next contract will obviously be significantly larger than that, which is what makes this Super Bowl appearance (and next season) so important for the Eagles’ championship window.
What makes young quarterbacks like Hurts so valuable isn’t just the fact they are MVP-caliber players and game-changers at the most important position. It is that they provide that value while also counting very little against the salary cap. When a team can get a franchise quarterback early in their career it gives that team the flexibility to load up the roster around them. We saw the Los Angeles Rams do that early in Jared Goff’s career, we saw the Eagles do it a few years ago around Carson Wentz, and we have seen the Cincinnati Bengals do it around Joe Burrow.
But when that quarterback gets the big money, it gets far more difficult to build as strong of a team around them.
The Eagles did a masterful job adding talent around Hurts this year and it has them just one win from a championship.
Hurts’ play as a part of that championship run has him on the verge of a potentially monster contract.
Hurts threw for 3,701 yards, 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions during the regular season, while also adding 760 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. Including playoffs the Eagles are 16-1 in games he has started this season and 0-2 without him.
