Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has one of the fieriest personalities in professional sports. He’s always amped up on the sideline and fired up in press conferences, particularly when it comes to talking about Jalen Hurts.
So, naturally, the excitable mastermind behind the Eagles’ offense was smiling from ear to ear as he discussed Hurts’ $255 million contract. While Sirianni wasn’t involved in the negotiations, he was 100% on board with getting the deal done. The Eagles have their franchise quarterback locked up through the 2028 season.
“I was juiced. I was excited,” Sirianni told reporters. “Jalen and I have a great relationship, and as a coach to player and player to coach, I really value those relationships that we have. Obviously, his play has spoken for itself.”
Nick Sirianni not looking to change approach with Jalen Hurts after new contract: “We didn’t pay him more to do less”
Sirianni went on to explain that he never got to see his favorite players rewarded during his time as offensive coordinator in Indianapolis. That’s why it was doubly important for him to be an eye-witness to Hurts’ bank-breaking deal, even if he wasn’t directly involved in the process. The coach-quarterback relationship is arguably the most critical aspect of a winning football organization.
“There were a lot of guys that signed contracts in Indy after I left,” Sirianni said. “I was like, man, I always really liked that part of it where guys get rewarded for what they’ve done, and I’m able to be there with them and be happy for them and still be able to coach them.”
Massive Contract Won’t Affect Dual-Threat Ability
One overblown concern over Hurts’ massive contract extension has been in regard to how much the Eagles will let him use his legs. It stands to reason that they would want to protect the dual-threat quarterback as much as possible. Which they do.
“We didn’t pay him more to do less”
-Nick Sirianni says with Jalen Hurts locked up for next 6 years, they will still run the offense the way they have with Jalen’s threat of running & protecting him
“Nobody knows what Jalen’s ceiling is. He is going to continue to rise”
But don’t mistake caution for stupidity. Sirianni knows that Hurts’ most dangerous element is his scrambling ability. It keeps defenses on edge at all times. Contract or not, Hurts isn’t going to be reduced to a pocket passer.
“I know he’s gotten injured, but we didn’t pay him more to do less. I’ll say that,” Sirianni told reporters. “Will we still think about how to protect him? Yeah, because that’s our job to protect our quarterback. But Jalen does a lot of things really well, and we want to utilize the skills that he has so he can continue to play at a high level.”
Roseman Reveals How Negotiations Went Down
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman shed some light on how contract negotiations went down between himself and Hurts’ management team. It wasn’t a flawless process but in the end, everyone got what they wanted. Roseman credited Hurts and his agent, Nicole Lynn of Klutch Sports, for their professionalism and dedication in achieving the best possible outcome for all parties.
“I think you have to give tremendous credit to Jalen [Hurts], Nicole Lynn, the people internally, [Vice President of Football Administration] Jake Rosenberg, [Vice President of Football Transactions and Strategic Planning] Bryce Johnston,” Roseman told reporters. “Really just the way that everyone kind of made an effort to do this in a way that was really win-win. I think it’s a heck of a deal for Jalen. I think it’s a heck of a deal for the Eagles.”
Howie Roseman on the Hurts extension:
“I don’t have any doubt in my mind that giving Jalen this contract will not change the person that Jalen is.”
“But he’ll probably come in on Monday in a Ferrari,” he added.
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Nick Sirianni Has Priceless Reaction to Blockbuster Eagles Move