As Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts prepares to try and win the franchise its second Lombardi Trophy, the Eagles’ front office intends to make him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL regardless of what happens in Super Bowl LVII.
Hurts, the 53rd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, took the starting job from Carson Wentz late in the 2020 season. He continued to make strides as a passer in his first full season as a starting quarterback. With the 2022 season viewed as a prove-it year, he became an NFL MVP candidate.
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- Jalen Hurts stats (2022): 101.5 QB rating, 66.5% completion, 35 total touchdowns
Hurts emerged as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL this season, racking up 3,701 passing yards with 760 rushing yards. With the 2023 season representing a contract year for the 24-year-old, Philadelphia is prepared to build around him long-term.
According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Eagles are heading into contract negotiations with Hurts expecting the price for an extension to be at least $50 million per season.
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“I expect the Eagles to work to sign quarterback Jalen Hurts to an extension early in the offseason. They know the price has likely gone to $50 million a year or more, and with Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and the Chargers’ Justin Herbert also extension-eligible this summer, and a Lamar Jackson megadeal still possible, the prices at the top of the QB market could ratchet up quickly.”
ESPN’s Dan Graziano on Philadelphia Eagles’ expectations for a Jalen Hurts’ contract extension
The year-to-year improvement from Hurts over the last three seasons is only comparable to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. As a rookie, Hurts posted a 33.8 ESPN QBR with one of the lowest completion rates (52%) and highest interception rates (2.7%) in the NFL.
One year later, Hurts raised his completion rate to 61.3 percent. Furthermore, he threw just nine interceptions across 432 attempts (2.1% interception rate) after tossing four on 148 passes in his rookie year.
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Now, Hurts boasts the fourth-highest ESPN QBR (66.3) in the NFL and he accomplished that with a 66.5% completion rate and 22-6 TD-INT line on 460 pass attempts. It’s provided the Eagles with all they need to see before investing in one of the best, young quarterbacks in the NFL.
Regardless of what happens in Super Bowl LVII, the Eagles are prepared to pay Hurts like a franchise quarterback.
