Why Hurts wanted his contract structured a specific way originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
It wasn’t exactly a hometown discount. When you become the highest-paid player in NFL history, the word “discount” doesn’t really apply.
But Jalen Hurts did agree to a structure in his blockbuster new contract that provides the Eagles the flexibility to build around him over the next several years.
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It’s one thing to have a franchise quarterback under contract for the next half decade. But if you’re so hamstrung by the salary cap implications that you can’t provide enough talent around him to win with, then what’s the point?
Dave Zangaro wrote last week about the relatively manageable cap figures the first four years of Hurts’ contract, which runs through 2028.
Although we don’t know yet exactly what the back end of the deal looks like, the five-year, $255 million deal carries cap figures of $6.15 million in 2023, $13.56 in 2024, $21.77 in 2025 and $31.77 in 2026.
Considering the Eagles’ adjusted cap figure this coming year is $234,179,264 and OverTheCap projects the NFL’s unadjusted salary cap to increase to $256 million next year, $282 million in 2025 and $308 million in 2026, you see how much spending power Howie Roseman will have.
Hurts’ cap figure is never more than 10 percent of the Eagles’ unadjusted cap figure through 2026. And remember, the Eagles’ adjusted cap figures — after unused cap space from the previous year is added — are always higher than the unadjusted figure.
Now, Hurts’ cap numbers in 2027 and 2028 will be enormous — probably over $75 million each year if the Eagles don’t eventually re-structure the deal — but Roseman has had tremendous success kicking the can down the road, and there’s no reason to think that will end now.
On Monday, Hurts talked about why he agreed to a contract that unlike Deshaun Watson’s isn’t fully guaranteed and includes low early cap figures and base salaries.
“I think you look at all the great teams — and I won’t get too much into detail — but you look at all the great teams and players, and it takes a village, it takes a village,” he said.
“In my first three years, playing around different guys I’ve been … around, we’ve got something special going on, and we all want to do it for a long time. So it was important to me to take that approach with it.”
The Eagles still want to build through the draft, but the low cap figures give Roseman the ability to sign free agents and extend other valuable players, which in turn helps Hurts as he tries to lead the Eagles to a championship.
“As individuals on the team, we want to continue to grow,” Hurts said. “We are stronger together when we fly together.”
Hurts actually said he has mixed feelings about the new contract, meaning he’s so focused on working and learning and getting better that he’s not totally comfortable even talking about a contract worth a quarter of a billion dollars.
“I want to win,” he said. “I want to win. “I know this is a building full of hungry individuals who are willing to do everything that needs to be done to win and I’m grateful to lead that path.”
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