Rumor: Eagles planning early contract extension for Jalen Hurts; a look at the numbers

Powering his team to a 3-0 start, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is quickly turning his detractors into believers.

September’s NFC Player of the Month has gotten off to a spectacular start in his pivotal 2022 campaign:

• Completion: 67.3 % (8th)
• Passing yards: 916 (3rd)
• Yards/attempt: 9.3 (1st)
• Passer rating: 106.5 (5th)
• Rushing yards: 167 (2nd amongst QBs)

“Just the way he’s kind of seeing the field right now,” Sirianni said when asked about Hurts’ development. “He’s identifying what’s coming, he’s knowing where to go with the football. His accuracy has been really outstanding. I think his numbers speak for itself, where we are at this point in the season. He’s been on it.

It’s that development that you always want out of every quarterback, is to see it faster, to get the ball to the guys that the ball is supposed to go to in the coverage they’re playing and that it’s an accurate ball. He’s continued to improve on those things.”

The rapid rise of Hurts has made him an early MVP favorite, and a substantial payday could soon follow.

Hurts is currently playing in the third year of his four-year rookie contract and since he was a second-round pick, the Eagles don’t have the luxury of a fifth-year option that you would get with first-round players.

Philadelphia could always stick him with the franchise tag in 2024 (worth around $31.5M), but I doubt the organization would welcome unnecessary drama. In fact, it appears GM Howie Roseman is already preparing the framework for his extension.

“Owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman are very much attuned to quarterback play. And while Nick Sirianni is bogged down in the daily operations of coaching, they are certainly starting to formulate a plan for giving Hurts an extension early.

The Eagles have long benefited in getting out in front. Have there been mistakes? All they had to do was look across the field at Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz to be reminded that they haven’t always been right. But their track record has produced more wins than losses.” — Jeff McLane, Philadelphia Inquirer

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As mentioned above, the Eagles have a history of rewarding their quarterbacks early, for better or worse.

• 2002: Donovan McNabb — 9-year, $70M extension
• 2011: Michael Vick — 5-year, $80M extension
• 2016: Sam Bradford — 2-year, $36M extension
• 2019: Carson Wentz — 4-year, $128M extension

McNabb and Vick worked out for the most part. Just one month after signing Bradford to his new deal, the Eagles traded up to No. 2 overall to draft Carson Wentz. Roseman subsequently traded Bradford to Minnesota that same offseason. As for Wentz … well, we all know how that ended.

Jalen Hurts is on the books for just $1.3M next season; his team-friendly contract is a big reason why the Eagles are seemingly all-in on a Super Bowl title.

So what would the numbers look like for Hurts’ new contract? According to Spotrac, his market value is roughly $39.6M/year. A four-year, $160M extension is certainly feasible, especially if the 24-year-old continues to progress. As we all know, yesterday’s price is not today’s price.

The Eagles can’t legally engage in contract discussions with Hurts until the season is over, but it’s apparent that they have long-term plans in place. In the meantime, Philadelphia looks to remain undefeated as they host Doug Pederson and the surging Jaguars on Sunday.

4th-down, end of the half, clock running, no timeouts, Hurts calls his own play, throws a perfect ball over tight coverage.

This is poise you see in 10-year vets, not from a QB in his 22nd NFL start. pic.twitter.com/I6sbuJiiZJ

— Victor Williams (@ThePhillyPod) September 27, 2022

Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch | Getty Images