Speculation about the future of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is over, thanks to the 24-year-old putting pen to paper on a five-year $255 million contract extension. Hurts’ new contract, the richest in the Philadelphia Eagle’s history, ties him to the franchise until 2028. The Philadelphia Eagles announced the deal on Twitter, tweeting, “Keeping the main thing in Philly. We’ve agreed to terms with Jalen Hurts on a 5-year extension through the 2028 season.”
Hurts’ bumper deal makes him the highest-paid NFL player in terms of annual wages. The deal guarantees Hurts $179.304 million, although, with incentives, he could earn as much as $274.304 million, including a $23.294 million signing bonus and $64 million in 2024. In addition, the Eagles have inserted a no-trade clause in Hurts’ contract, the first time in the franchise’s history that this has happened.
The Meteoric Rise of Jalen Hurts
The Philadelphia Eagles are the joint-second favorites with the best online Bitcoin betting sites to win the Super Bowl this season. Hurts committing his future to the team will come as great news for Eagles fans and anyone backing the team to march on to Super Bowl glory. Hurts was instrumental in helping the Eagles reach the Super Bowl in 2023 and was a finalist for the Associated Press 2022 NFL Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year awards. Despite Hurts throwing 304 yards and one touchdown, the Eagles lost 35-38 to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hurts was born on August 7, 1998, in Houston, Texas, and he loved football from an early age. He played as a quarterback during his time at Channelview High School, where his father, Averion, was the coach. Texas A&M strongly pushed to sign Hurts to their football scholarship, but he ultimately committed to the University of Alabama. Hurts played for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2016-18 before transferring to the University of Oklahoma in time for his senior season. After passing 3,851 yards and 32 touchdowns, rushing 1,298 yards, and scoring 20 touchdowns, Hurts’ stock was high, and it was expected he would be a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Eagles drafted Hurts in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft as the 53rd overall pick. Hurts featured in 15 games during his rookie season, although he only started four. Hurts became the Eagles’ starting quarterback in 2021, starting all 15 games he played. He threw 3,144 yards and 16 touchdowns, in addition to gaining 784 rushing yards and ten touchdowns. However, 2022 was Hurts’ breakout season. Again, he played in and started 15 games and guided the Eagles to a 14-1 record with him in the pocket. He put up career-best figures for pass completion (66.5%), passing yards (3,701), touchdowns (22), passer rating (101.5), and rushing touchdowns scored (13).
A Disappointing Super Bowl
His stand-out performances throughout the 2022 season resulted in Hurts being named to his first career Pro Bowl and was a Second Team All-Pro. Hurts threw 304 yards and one touchdown during the Super Bowl, in addition to scoring three rushing touchdowns and a two-point conversion. The 20 points Hurts scored tied him for the most Super Bowl points by an individual. However, two critical mistakes at the Super Bowl took the shine from an almost perfect season. First, Hurts lost a fumble that Nick Bolton returned for a touchdown in the second quarter. Hurts also attempted a Hail Mary pass on the last play of the game, but it fell short, ultimately resulting in the Eagles losing 35-38.
Eagles fans will be hopeful that their start quarterback continues developing at the rate he has so far and that he can handle the pressure that naturally comes with signing such a massive contract. If he does, Hurts could well guide the Eagles to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances.
