A lot is riding on the Eagles this season. While they’ve built their roster to contend no one is expecting a huge super bowl surprise due to the several key holes on the roster. The pressure is still there though as they do play in one of the larger markets in the nation with some of the most brutally honest fans. Unfortunately, the Eagles will have to have a very honest conversation within the front office and with their fans at the end of the season if expectations aren’t met.
There’s still the curious case of Jalen Hurts. A player with the personality and work ethic that coaches would die for but his abilities are still as raw as ever. Time may be riding against the young QB but it’s not for the reason you think it is. See the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft which means that the Eagles don’t have Hurts under control for the 5 years as they would with a first-round pick.
Hurts Is now entering his third season in the NFL. His first season was spent playing decoy while also backing up former Eagles QB Carson Wentz. In his second season, Hurts was granted the starting position with a completely new coaching staff. This means that Hurts didn’t have the normal continuity that some young QBs get when they enter the league. Instead Hurts has seen a Super Bowl-winning head coach lose his job after one bad season and a franchise QB being traded away shortly after.
This is Jalen’s reality and whether he likes it or not, the ball is in his court. If Hurts performs well enough this season then the Eagles would be forced to offer him an extension before he heads into his fourth season. Now if he doesn’t play well then the Eagles are loaded with enough ammunition to draft a new franchise QB. Hurts may not demand Patrick Mahoney money but you would think his cap hit would still be pretty big.
Hurts could be in line for a decent payday if everything works in his favor. We just witnessed the Raiders extend QB Derek Carr to a three-year, $125 million extension with a no-trade clause. Even Deshaun Watson cashed into a huge, undeserving, deal this offseason worth $230 million over the next five years.
So what would a player like Jalen Hurts be worth?
Jalen will only be 24-years old when he heads into the 2023 season. Like Carr, Hurts was also a second-round pick that has impacted the Eagles’ offense for the better. His playmaking ability and never say die attitude is contagious and has infected the entire franchise. He’s a franchise QB until the numbers come up but are you seeing all of the numbers?
Hurts is doing his job while still showing flaws of how raw his ability is. He’s never had a consistent coaching staff throughout his entire playing career until now. He also has his best friend playing with him now which is a bit unheard of. The Eagles traded for WR A.J. Brown after they drafted WR DeVonta Smith in the previous year. It’s evident that the front office is trying to give Jalen Hurt all he needs to succeed but does that give them an advantage when negotiating his extension?
Some suggest that Jalen Hurts could demand a $180 million extension for 5 years which would mean that he’s the Eagles QB until his 29th year of life. That kind of extension would mean that the Eagles are paying Hurts $36 million yearly. According to Over the Cap, that amount would place him right above players like Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins, and even his predecessor, Carson Wentz.
It seems that Hurts can either play himself into a big payday this offseason or into the hands of another team after this season. One way or another, the ball is in the hands of the 23-year-old playmaker.
Do you think Jalen Hurts is worth Franchise QB money?
Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
