Projecting Jalen Hurts' next payday following Kyler Murray's massive extension

The QB landscape is shaping up nicely for Jalen Hurts.

From franchise quarterbacks to young, dynamic receivers, a great deal of guaranteed money has been handed out this offseason. The Arizona Cardinals are the latest team to follow suit, signing QB Kyler Murray to an immense five-year, $230.5M extension with $160M guaranteed.

After an offseason of drama, the #AZCardinals do what they always intended: Pay Kyler Murray what he deserves.

Now, he gets a 5-year, big money extension and will remain their QB of the future. The team and @ErikBurkhardt get it done in time for training camp.

💰 💰 💰
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 21, 2022

The deal makes Murray the second-highest paid quarterback in the league in terms of yearly salary:

Aaron Rodgers: $50.3M
Kyler Murray: $46.1M
Deshaun Watson: $46M
Patrick Mahomes: $45M
Josh Allen: $43M
Derek Carr: $40.5M
Matthew Stafford: $40M
Dak Prescott: $40M
Russell Wilson: $35M
Jared Goff: $33.5

Players are getting paid early and often in today’s NFL — and it won’t be long before the Eagles have to consider their own QB.

Jalen Hurts, a 2020 second-round pick, is entering the third year of his rookie contract and doesn’t have the fifth-year option that first-round players are eligible for. Essentially, he can cash out as soon as next offseason.

Eagles GM Howie Roseman has a history of securing his quarterbacks ahead of time, most notably with Michael Vick (2011), Sam Bradford (2016), and Carson Wentz (2019). Hurts could very well be next on the list.

Comparatively speaking, Hurts will have the numbers to warrant a lucrative extension if he performs well in 2022. Using last year as the barometer, here’s a look at the two QBs who got handsomely paid this offseason in contrast to Hurts:

	Derek Carr	Kyler Murray	Jalen Hurts
W-L record	10-7	9-5	8-7
Comp. %	68.4%	69.2%	61.3%
Total TDs/INTs	23/14	29/10	26/9
Passing yards	4,804	3,787	3,144
Rushing yards	108	423	784
Career Playoff record	0-1	0-1	0-1
Extension awarded	3-year, $121.5M	5-year, $230.5M	–
Yearly salary	$40.5M/year	$46.1M	–

Derek Carr is just one game over .500 since 2019, while Murray is 22-23-1 in his career. When you talk about football that matters, Carr is 17-23 in December and January. Murray is 6-11. The eye test (and more importantly, winning) tells all in the NFL. If Hurts exhibits visual improvement as a passer and clinches back-to-back postseason appearances, Roseman will look to lock him in Philly before his value rises.

So what would a potential deal look like for Hurts?

If the Eagles were to use the franchise tag on Hurts after the 2023 season, he’d count for roughly $31.5M against the cap. A 4-year, $136M contract would put Hurts ahead of Jared Goff, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan at $34M/year, giving Philadelphia a relatively cheap QB (by today’s standards) before Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert reset the market.

GM Howie Roseman went all-in on his young quarterback by trading for (and paying) AJ Brown, who will now join DeVonta Smith to form one of the NFL’s top WR duos. Hurts has spent much of the offseason in California with QB-guru Tom House and his refinements have already turned some heads in OTA’s.

Coaching continuity will also play a significant role in his development. For the first time in his football career, Hurts is participating in an offseason program with the same offensive staff he had the year prior.

Arm talent was the crux of Hurts’ pre-draft evaluations, and some of those concerns were on display in 2021. Although he struggled to hit open receivers at times, Hurts did show flashes of big-play potential in key moments en route to a Wild Card berth.

The Eagles will be banking on that version of Hurts next season.