The Eagles have announced a restructured contract for WR Alshon Jeffery just one day before the team kick off their 2019 campaign.
Interestingly in the official announcement by the team, the opening line from Eagles insider Dave Spadaro is this: Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery wants to be an Eagle. The Eagles want Alshon Jeffery.
Well, any speculation about the long-term future has been put to bed, for now. The 29-year old’s base salary has been turned into a signing bonus, guaranteeing him money upfront and more importantly, buying the Eagles some cap relief down the line. This comes off the back of a busy day for wide receiver news, with Julio Jones and Antonio Brown being at the epicenter. Perhaps the Eagles wanted to ensure they keep their man as the price for production continues to rise.
When he first signed the contract, only $26M of the $52M total was guaranteed. None of that sum was guaranteed in 2020. Now, all of that salary is. Not only will this make Jeffery very happy, with the Eagles showing an intent to keep their #1 wideout around past 2019, a year where they drafted JJ Arcega-Whiteside, but the Eagles go from $14.8M in cap space, to a total safely over $20M.
The Birds now have a ton of up-front financial flexibility that they can then carry into next year, an offseason where the contracts of Lane Johnson, Zach Ertz, and Malcolm Jenkins will all need addressing. Not that they’re in danger of running out, but the numbers are slowly creeping up and re-structures and extensions could well be afoot. We are also yet to see if Jenkins will receive the bump in guaranteed money that was discussed this offseason.
Jeffery caught six touchdowns for the Eagles last year, hauling in 65 passes for 843 yards on the back of a 789 yard, Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2017 (with a torn rotator cuff). Now entering his third season as an Eagle, Jeffery can head into Sunday knowing fully well that the team are just committed to him, as he is committed to the team.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
