Eagles, DeVonta Smith agree to $20.1 million rookie contract

Posted on June 3, 2021

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Eagles and first-round draft pick DeVonta Smith are finalizing a four-year, $20.1 million (fully guaranteed) rookie contract. The deal also includes a fifth-year option, which is the standard for first-rounders. Smith’s signing bonus comes out to $12.6 million.

While the values of every rookie contract were known long before, it’s nice to see this agreement. Now the Heisman winner can focus on bringing his collegiate talents to the big stage.

Here’s a breakdown of how Smith’s contract will play out over the next four years (via Spotrac):

2021

$660,000 base salary, $3,002,71 signing bonus, $3,662,071 cap hit, $20,141,390 dead cap

2022

$1,575,518 base salary, $3,002,71 signing bonus, $4,577,589 cap hit, $16,479,319 dead cap

2023

$2,491,035 base salary, $3,002,71 signing bonus, $5,493,106 cap hit, $11,901,730 dead cap

2024

$3,406,553 base salary, $3,002,71 signing bonus, $6,408,624 cap hit, $6,408,624 dead cap

Because he was selected lower, Smith will be making less than some of his fellow wide receiver draftees. Ja’Marr Chase is set to make $30.89 million on his first NFL contract, while Jalen Waddle will be earning over $27 million. Perhaps the Eagles will be getting a bargain with Smith here.

Like all rookies, Smith won’t be able to negotiate a new deal until after his third season.

How Much Could Smith Earn On His Fifth-Year Deal?

It’s obviously way too early to tell how much Smith could make if the Eagles picked up his fifth-year option way down the line. There are a number of factors that determine the value, from playing time to Pro Bowl appearances.

Wide receivers Calvin Ridley and D.J. Moore are set to make $11.1 million on their fifth-year deals, if you’re looking for an idea of how much Smith could earn by that time. They could have earned over $14 million with a Pro Bowl visit, so perhaps that could be incentive for the Slim Reaper.

Of course, Smith has yet to take the field in an actual game, so that kind of talk might be a bit mature. Right now, the Eagles and their fans’ only concern for Smith should be his production come September.

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Drew Rhoades

If there’s one thing you need to know about Drew Rhoades, it’s that he knows Philadelphia sports. A graduate from Saint Joseph’s University, Rhoades has previously written about Hawk sports for The Hawk Newspaper and covered baseball at Phillies Nation. In his spare time, he loves to volunteer at his local animal shelter and bike.

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