Jalen Hurts Inks Massive Contract Extension With Eagles

Former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts officially agreed to a contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Hurts’ new contract, a five-year deal worth $255 million, makes him not only the highest paid quarterback in the NFL but the highest paid player in the league’s history.

A second-round pick in 2020, Hurts was instrumental in guiding the Eagles to a berth in the Super Bowl.

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni spoke on Hurts’ impact in January following Philadelphia’s divisional round win over the New York Giants, saying, “To have [Hurts] out there, is like having Michael Jordan out there. He’s your leader, he’s your guy. Hopefully that’s the biggest respect I can pay to him.”

Hailing from Channelview, Texas, Hurts was a four-star recruit and the No. 1-rated dual-threat quarterback in the state in 2016, per 247Sports. He put together an illustrious college career, suiting up for both the Crimson Tide and Oklahoma Sooners, and compiling a 38-4 record as a starting quarterback across three seasons.

Quinnen Williams’ Contract Negotiation Heats Up

Former Crimson Tide star and 2019 third overall pick Quinnen Williams will officially not report for the New York Jets‘ voluntary offseason workout program, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Williams told reporters in January that he would not attend if a contract extension was not reached, and as of April 17, a new deal had not yet been struck.

At 25 years old, Williams is one of the top interior defenders in the NFL. In 2022, the former four-star compiled 55 tackles, 12 sacks and four pass deflections and was selected as a First Team All-Pro.

While the Jets struggled throughout the 2022 season, the defense was one of the league’s best, allowing just 18.6 points per game.

A four-star recruit in 2016 from Birmingham, Alabama, Williams was rated as the No. 20 defensive tackle in the nation, per 247Sports. After redshirting in his first year with the Tide, Williams was a defensive anchor for two seasons, starting every game and compiling an incredible 90 total tackles, 25 TFLs and nine sacks.

Former Tide Defensive Back Re-Signs with Lions

Per an April 17 report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, former Alabama defensive back Savion Smith officially re-signed with the Detroit Lions for the 2023 season.

Smith suffered a neck injury in the Lions’ Week 5 matchup with the New England Patriots in 2022, and according to an April 17 story from the Detroit Free Press, underwent neck fusion surgery in November of that same year.

Since going undrafted in 2019, Smith has spent time with six different NFL teams and even saw a brief stint in the XFL with the Houston Roughnecks in 2020. Although he has struggled to find his footing in the league, the Lions provide an excellent opportunity for Smith to prove himself as a talented defender this year.

The Lions have seen a near complete overhaul of the defensive secondary this offseason following an abysmal 2022 campaign. Detroit ranked 30th among NFL teams in passing yards allowed, and in response signed C.J. Gardner Johnson, Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Mosley while trading away former first-round pick Jeff Okudah.