Eagles QB Jalen Hurts signs his $255 million contract extension: ‘Money is nice. Championships are better.’
At a press conference, coaches, executives, and teammates gathered to congratulate Hurts, who made NFL history with his contract extension but provided a strong indication that winning is priority.
Jalen Hurts arrived to the NovaCare Complex dressed for a momentous occasion.
One week after agreeing to a $255 million contract that made NFL history, the Eagles quarterback put pen to paper Monday, donning a green Gucci suit and flanked by his girlfriend Bry Burrows and agent Nicole Lynn as he walked into the Eagles auditorium.
As a group of roughly a dozen Eagles executives and coaches looked on, including owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman, and coach Nick Sirianni, Hurts thanked a multitude of people before explaining the significance of signing a contract extension to keep him an Eagle through the 2028 season.
“The only thing that I’ve ever wanted to do is be the best version of myself,” Hurts said. “That hasn’t changed, that won’t change. I’m fortunate to have a great opportunity to do it in a special place.”
Hurts’ five-year extension includes $179.3 million in guaranteed money and the first no-trade clause in Eagles franchise history. Hurts had $110 million guaranteed at signing as well.
» READ MORE: How the Jalen Hurts extension impacts the Eagles’ salary cap situation and resets the NFL’s QB market
The 24-year-old, stoic as usual, conceded that he wasn’t sure how to feel about the extension. Even on the three-year anniversary of the Eagles drafting him, he said he wasn’t in a reflective mood moments after signing.
“It’s not a moment where I can reflect because the journey’s not over,” Hurts said. “It’s really hard for me to do that. I know I’ve walked through the fire time and time again, and in the end it’s only made me stronger.
“I have mixed emotions right now. I’m grateful, I’m thankful. ... I’m just so hungry. The hard work continues. The fire continues to burn time and time again.”
After Hurts’ news conference, a handful of players including DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, and Greg Ward trickled into the Eagles auditorium and congratulated their teammate. Offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, quarterbacks coach Alex Tanney, Julian Lurie and several others stayed afterward while Hurts took pictures on stage with Jeffrey Lurie, Roseman, and Sirianni.
It’s the second time in five years that Lurie has written a massive check to a promising young quarterback, with the first example having severe consequences when Carson Wentz’s performance sharply declined after signing a top-market extension. Still, the Eagles were eager to extend Hurts with a year left on his rookie deal and before other ascending extension-eligible quarterbacks reached agreements elsewhere.
» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts is the antidote to Carson Wentz and Ben Simmons
Lurie said the combination of Hurts’ on-field ability and off-field demeanor gave the organization the confidence to commit to him long-term.
“It’s remarkable that somebody can combine the talent that Jalen has, the personal qualities, and the ability at such a young age to be a culture-setter,” Lurie said. “We’ve been fortunate with the Eagles to have our best players and leaders be culture-setters. We have several on the team right now. It’s why we’ve been to two Super Bowls recently. When you have your best players be the culture-setters, it’s a great formula for success. There’s no question in my mind or anyone in this building’s mind that Jalen is a culture-setter.”
“This is the beginning of a career arc for a remarkable person and a remarkable player. The future, we don’t even know. The ceiling? There is no ceiling. It’s all there if we continue to surround Jalen.”
Hurts’ extension set an NFL record in terms of annual value at $51 million a year, but his cap hits are more manageable because of the length of his contract and the amount of guaranteed money paid up front. According to ESPN, Hurts will count for $6.5 million against the cap next season, $13.56 million in 2024, $21.77 million in 2025 and $31.77 in 2026.
With Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and Lamar Jackson all eligible for extensions this offseason and Deshaun Watson having signed a fully guaranteed $230 million contract with the Cleveland Browns last year, there’s a case to be made Hurts could have maximized his earnings by taking a shorter-term deal with a higher percentage guaranteed. Hurts said the reason he prioritized a longer extension is because of the flexibility it affords the organization to keep his cap hits lower and retain high-quality players around him.
» READ MORE: Eagles look to maximize the team’s championship window after giving Jalen Hurts a massive extension
“You look at all the great teams and great players, it takes a village,” Hurts said. “I know that last year, in my first three years, just playing around the different guys that I’ve been able to play around, we’ve got something special going on. We all want to do it for a long time, so that was important to me to take that approach with it.”
“Money is nice,” Hurts added later. “Championships are better.”