Getty Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts.
It’s been eerily quiet when it comes to Jalen Hurts’ contract negotiation talks. The MVP candidate has passed every measurable metric in his development in Year 3, acing every test this season for the Philadelphia Eagles with flying colors. It’s been remarkable to watch the plan come together.
The next step? Figuring out what Hurts’ worth might be as the new franchise quarterback. Spotrac estimates his value at $45.6 million annually, or six years at roughly $274 million. That would be in line with what the Arizona Cardinals doled out to Kyler Murray. And Hurts is arguably a much better player.
It seems like more dominoes are about to fall in gauging Hurts’ worth, though. Boomer Esiason recently appeared on Audacy’s WFAN 101.9 FM where he revealed that the New York Giants are close to locking up starter Daniel Jones to a lucrative extension. He didn’t predict the financials on it but reported that a deal could be wrapped up in the next 10 days.
His market value is currently projected at $25.5 million per year, or three years at $76.6 million (via Spotrac). Here is how Esiason explained the negotiating process between Jones and the Giants:
I’m hearing also that Daniel Jones and the Giants are close to a contract extension so for you Giants fans out there that are looking forward to that this offseason, I can tell you that they’re close. The question is, is it three years or four years? What does the player want? What does the team want? Can they meet somewhere in the middle?
I would tell Daniel Jones that if they offer you a four-year deal and you have maximum guaranteed money, significant, I would take that deal because you know after three years — if you are as good as you think you are and if you’re as good as you’ve been in this offense, then you’re only going to get better — and they’re only going to get better support from people around you hopefully. And, after three years, they’ll go back to the negotiating table again because you’re young enough.
“I’m hearing also that Daniel Jones and the Giants are close to a contract extension.”- Boomer Esiason on WFAN.
I guess the speculation now is to how much and how long the extension is for if the Giants and Jones are close.
Clock Ticking on New Contract for Jalen Hurts
Teams tend to wait until the completion of the Super Bowl before they start handing out new contracts, hence why most experts had pegged February as the month when Hurts and the Eagles might head to the negotiating table. But the Philadelphia front office has never been boxed in by norms or the status quo. No, Howie Roseman has traditionally thought outside the box.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio speculated that the Eagles might look to use the playoff bye week – between Week 18 and the Divisional Round – to get a deal done. It makes sense for the Eagles from a business perspective. Florio wrote:
The chances of it happening fall squarely on the “not likely” side of 50/50. But someone has to be the first to cash in with a major contract that the player has earned at a time when the injury risk of the looming postseason can be shifted to the team. While, on one hand, negotiations that don’t end in a contract can become a distraction, getting the contract done would remove any chance of the player being concerned that an injury during the playoffs will derail his offseason effort to get the contract he deserves.
Hurts signing early might provide some long-term security for the player, but it could cost him millions assuming he balls out in the playoffs. Especially if he were to guide the Eagles to a Super Bowl championship. This situation will most likely play itself out in February and March.
Hurts Competing with 2020 NFL Draft Class
Hurts is really competing more with his peers from the 2020 NFL draft class, not Jones who went No. 6 overall in 2019. Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, will probably want to wait until later in the offseason to see what happens with guys like Tua Tagovailoa, Joe Burrow, and Justin Herbert. All three of those quarterbacks are due hefty contract extensions, with all three aligning better with Hurts’ ceiling.
No offense to Jones, of course. Hurts has proven to be elite — whether that’s due to the Eagles’ system or his drastic improvement as a passer is an argument we’re not getting into today. Heavy’s Matt Lombardo talked to a plugged-in agent in late October who predicted Hurts would wind up as a top-10 highest-paid quarterback.
“Starting quarterbacks in this league today need to make at least $30 million annually,” the agent told Lombardo. “Do I think he’s elite? Probably not, but he’s elite in that system. It wouldn’t shock me at all if he winds up as a top-10 highest-paid quarterback in the league, and he’s for sure in the MVP race.”
The entire 2020 QB class has made it to the playoffs
Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts
