Jalen Hurts is eligible for a contract extension, which means an enormous payday. The talk is maybe $50 million a year for X-number of years. If that’s the number, it would be the largest average annual value contract in Philadelphia sports history, more than Sixers center Joel Embiid and Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper are paid.
Embiid makes $33.6 million this season; Harper’s base salary is $26 million. Newcomer Trea Turner’s base salary is $27.2 million.
For Hurts, the money can wait. Even this amount of money. The Eagles quarterback is still stung by the Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs.
- “The thing that I’m most focused on is winning,” Hurts said as the team was cleaning out their lockers for the season.
- “The only thing I care about is winning and, ultimately, winning championships. There will be a day where that conversation [his contract] can be had, but that day isn’t today.”
Hurts played brilliantly in the Eagles’ 38-35 loss to Kansas City. His performance followed a tremendous season in which he finished second in the MVP voting to the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes.
- “I think there’s definitely a lot to learn from,” Hurts said. “I’m going to move forward with all of those experiences in mind and try to use those things to better myself and grow and help the guys around me …
- “I’m just trying to be the best player I can be for this city, for my teammates, for my family — everyone that’s been with me on this journey.”
The market price for top-notch quarterback is in the $40 to $50 million a year range.
Based on annual average salary, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is the highest-paid quarterback at $50.3 million. Behind him are Denver’s Russell Wilson ($49 million), Arizona’s Kyler Murray ($46.1 million), Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson ($46 million), Mahomes ($45 million), and Buffalo’s Josh Allen ($43 million).
Hurts is three years into a four-year contract. His base salary for this past season was $1,082,744, which ranked 47th among quarterbacks. He is scheduled to make $4.3 million in 2023 unless there is a contract extension.
STUNNING STAT
Looking over the Super Bowl stats, one jumped out: The Eagles only had one pass defended vs. Patrick Mahomes. If you go back and look at the tape, you’ll see Chiefs receivers wide-open on every completion. Linebacker T.J. Edwards had the pass defended.
GRADING HURTS
According to Pro Football Focus, Jalen Hurts achieved the highest passing grade in a Super Bowl *this century*.
Hurts graded at 92.9.
THE REST OF THE TOP FIVE:
- Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, 2010, 91.7
- Giants’ Eli Manning, 2011, 91.1
- Eagles’ Nick Foles, 2017, 90.7
- Seahawks’ Russell Wilson, 2013, 90.3
Every one of the top five won their game except Hurts. You can thank the Eagles’ second-half defense for that.
Tom Brady’s highest grade was 83.1, ranked ninth, in the 2017 loss to the Eagles. And the guy won seven Super Bowls since 2002.
EAGLES CONNECTIONS
Five head-coaching jobs were filled since the season ended and all five have Eagles connections.
- Cardinals: Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator, 2021-22
- Colts: Shane Steichen, offensive coordinator, 2021-22
- Texans: DeMeco Ryans, linebacker, 2012-15
- Panthers: Frank Reich, offensive coordinator, 2016-17
- Broncos: Sean Payton, quarterback coach, 1997-98
With Gannon and Steichen landing head-coaching jobs, the Nick Sirianni Coaching Tree has taken roots.
A BIG ZERO
Chiefs center Creed Humphrey and several of his linemates wore T-shirts to Kansas City’s victory parade that said: “0 SACKS”
The reference was to the Chiefs’ offensive line holding the vaunted Eagles defense to zero sacks. The Eagles led the NFL in sacks this season with 70, the third-best in Eagles history.
Much of the pregame hype was directed at the Eagles’ defense and how important it was to win the battle against Mahomes.
Humphrey tweeted: Put it on a t shirt baby!!!! #ChiefsKingdom
BRADBERRY A STAND-UP GUY
Eagles cornerback James Bradberry was called for holding in the Super Bowl’s final minutes. Bradberry grabbed Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster ever so slightly and got pinched for it.
The penalty gave the Chiefs a fresh set of downs and enabled them to drain the clock to eight seconds after Harrison Butker kicked the game-winning 27-yard field goal.
Bradberry told the media after the game that he did indeed hold but he thought the officials would let it slide.
- “I felt like I only had two options, really,” Bradberry told reporters on Tuesday. “I could take responsibility for it, or I could blame it on somebody else.
- “But I try not to live that way. I guess you could say that comes from my mom or the coaches in the past I’ve had, talking about just taking accountability for whatever happens within the game.”
Bradberry, who will turn 30 in August, will be a free agent next season. There is a likelihood he will not return next season.
- “I think I deserve top dollar,” Bradberry said. “It’s just a matter of who’s out there to willing to pay it at the end of the day.”
In a sport where there is holding on every play, real or imagined, Bradberry’s penalty was the only holding call of the game.
REID GOING STRONG
Chiefs coach Andy Reid turns 65 next month. The former Eagles coach, coming off his second Super Bowl victory, was asked about retiring, going out on top.
“I look in the mirror and I’m old,” Reid said. “My heart, though, is young. I still enjoy doing what I’m doing. I got asked that 50 times here.”
