Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will earn a league-high $51m per year after agreeing a new five-year $255m deal with the team
Monday 17 April 2023 20:30, UK
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has agreed a new deal set to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history after leading his team to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, last season.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Hurts has agreed to terms on a five-year, $255m contract extension including $179.304m in guaranteed money and a no-trade clause.
The deal will see Hurts earn $51m on average per year, surpassing Aaron Rodgers' $50.3 per year and Russell Wilson's $48.5m per year. Only Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson ($230m) and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray ($189.5m) have received more guaranteed money in a single contract than Hurts.
Hurts will also have the opportunity to garner an extra $15m in incentivised money meaning the value of the contract could reach as high as $274.304m.
It comes after the 2020 second-round Draft pick thrust himself into MVP contention during a 2022 season that saw him complete 306 of 460 passes (66.5 per cent) for 3,701 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. Hurts also starred on the ground in Nick Sirianni and Shane Steichen's multi-layered RPO offense with 760 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
The 24-year-old went toe-to-toe with MVP Patrick Mahomes and the eventual champions Kansas City in a Super Bowl epic, finishing 27 of 38 passing for 304 yards and a touchdown alongside 70 rushing yards for a quarterback-record three scores.
Hurts' record deal marks the latest instalment of his staggering trajectory in the face of doubts over his NFL potential, the former Alabama man having famously been benched for Tua Tagovailoa at half-time during the 2018 College National Championship Game before transferring to Oklahoma in 2019.
He was subsequently drafted 53rd overall by the Eagles in 2020 as the fifth quarterback off the board behind Joe Burrow, Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Jordan Love, eventually taking over for the bench Carson Wentz during the second half of his rookie year.
Hurts was officially named starter heading into the 2021 campaign and made notable strides in Sirianni's as he closed out the regular season with 3,144 passing yards and 16 touchdowns to nine interceptions in addition to 784 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns from 139 carries.
It would pave the way for a starring role in 2022 as Hurts became the focal point to an offense that ranked third in total yards, third in scoring, third in EPA/play and third in DVOA.
