It’s safe to say the Eagles won’t be preparing for the Super Bowl in a couple of days if it weren’t for the incredible steps Jalen Hurts has taken this season. It seems that progress hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Speaking to ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said he felt Hurts has nothing left to prove when it comes to him as the long-term answer at quarterback.
“He is an MVP-caliber quarterback, an incredible leader of the team on the field, off the field. He’s 24 years old, incredibly mature and, most importantly, driven to be even better. What we’re seeing today I think is just the beginning for Jalen. This guy will attack every weakness as he has since high school, since college. The future is bright and very exciting for all of us.”
The quarterback is in the third year of his $6 million rookie contract. According to Spotrac, Hurts is set to make $4.2 million next season, while his market value is projected at $44.2 million.
While it remains to be seen what kind of price range Hurts is looking for, Josh Allen (6 years, $258 million), Kyler Murray (5 years, $230 million), and DeShaun Watson (5 years, $230 million) all seem like good baselines for what a deal could end up being.
Regardless, Lurie doesn’t seem to be worried about numbers for right now, and neither does Hurts. “We’ll kind of handle that later on,” the quarterback said in response to Lurie’s remarks. “Get there when we get there.”
Eagles have a history of switching up on “long-term” pieces
It’s worth pointing out that even with a long-term extension, whether Hurts will be Philly’s QB for the long haul remains to be seen.
Even with all their success and hardware to show for it, the Eagles haven’t been the most consistent franchise with personnel over the last decade or even the past couple of seasons.
Only four years ago, Doug Pederson and Carson Wentz, inked to a four-year, $128,000,000 contract, looked to be the next long-term duo leading the Eagles to future Super Bowl wins. We’re all aware of how that turned out.
Now, that’s not saying Hurts is set to have the same downfall as Wentz – far from it, as Hurts has improved in many areas that the former star never could and has led the team to two playoff victories.
But perhaps Wentz can serve as a reminder that the Eagles are always subject to change, especially during more turbulent seasons that leave a sour taste in the fans’ and ownership’s mouths.
The Eagles should have no doubts about locking Hurts down
With that said, the Birds would be smart to have a contract and pen on Hurts’ hotel desk by tomorrow morning.
Lurie summed up pretty much all the stuff you want to hit on in a QB: young, MVP-caliber talent, leader, and mature. From what we’ve seen on and off the field, that seems 100% true.
While QB contracts can hamper the amount of talent a team can have, and ultimately make a return to the Super Bowl more difficult, Hurts’ play was critical to the team’s elevation this season.
There’s absolutely no reason to let a potential contract snag play out like what’s been occurring with Lamar Jackson and Baltimore. The sooner the two parties can work out a deal, the sooner the Eagles can sit back and watch their star player continue to develop.
