Jalen Hurts has only missed three games due to injury over his first two seasons as the starting quarterback. That’s not a lot of missed snaps. However, some see his physical style of play — like fighting for extra yards at the end of angry runs — as a reason for the Philadelphia Eagles to hold back money.
Hurts, who missed time due to a shoulder sprain in 2022, was recently called to the carpet by an anonymous NFL agent (via Heavy’s Matt Lombardo) for being a bit too reckless on the field. There is a fear that his dual-threat ability may be used against him in contract negotiations.
“Because of his physical play and suddenly building injury history, I’d focus on a traditional quarterback deal,” the agent said. “So, I’d go for 5 or 6 years at the highest APY possible. I’d fight hard for over $50 million per season.”
It may seem like an overblown concern, but this is how professional sports teams do business. It’s all about the front office gaining leverage over the player. Meanwhile, an anonymous AFC personnel director believes Hurts will earn a contract somewhere in between what Derek Carr ($37.5 million) and Patrick Mahomes ($45 million) got on a per-year basis.
“The Eagles always try to extend early and at a lower rate,” the personnel director said. “I’d guess he will come in north of Carr but below Mahomes. I’d think around $38-42M per. Of course, his side will push for more, but they should be careful.”
Nick Sirianni Not Going to Limit Jalen Hurts
There has been quiet chatter about the Eagles possibly scaling back what Hurts does with his legs, similar to what Andy Reid did with Donovan McNabb back in the day. Turn him more into a pocket passer, instead of exposing him to injury. But that would negate arguably the biggest advantage Hurts has against opposing defenses. His unpredictability in the run game is what makes him a threat.
Head coach Nick Sirianni was asked specifically about Hurts’ aggressive style of play and if he intended to limit the quarterback as a playmaker in 2023. His answer sounded like a resounding no.
“What makes Jalen special is everything he can do,” Sirianni told reporters on March 28 at the NFL Annual Meeting. “We’ll do what we have to do to win football games, no matter what that is. Jalen does a lot of things special, and we’ll try to showcase all the things that he does special.
“We’ll try to recap the things that we did last year with him and then try to add some new wrinkles with different things that we do. We’ll do what we need to do to win games, and we have a special quarterback, and we’ll use his special abilities.”
Welcome Back, Kelly Green Uniforms!
Finally. Finally, the Eagles are bringing back those fan-favorite kelly green uniforms that Randall Cunningham and Reggie White made famous. Owner Jeffrey Lurie announced the news during his state-of-the-team address at the NFL Annual Meeting earlier this week.
The Eagles will be able to wear them as alternate uniforms, complete with matching kelly green helmets, for three games of their choosing in 2023. Dates will be revealed at a later time.
“This is the season we’ll reintroduce the classic kelly green and I’m super excited,” Lurie said. “I don’t know what date that’s going to be but I think the fans will love it. That’s why we’re bringing it back. We really took the feedback seriously over the years, and the first moment we could get the kelly green helmet approved we did and we’ll finally be able to see it on the field.”
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NFL Agent Reveals Concerning Issue About Eagles QB Jalen Hurts