17 April 2023 , 18:28
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The Philadelphia Eagles made Jalen Hurts the highest-paid player in NFL history after the quarterback signed a blockbuster new contract - and the Eagles also included a no-trade clause for the first time in franchise history.
Hurts was selected by the Eagles in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft and the former Alabama and Oklahoma star has steadily progressed each and every year. However, he took his game to new heights in 2022, leading the Eagles to the first seed in the NFC and a Super Bowl berth.
On Monday, it emerged that Hurts and Philadelphia had agreed to a five-year deal worth $255million (£206.2m) with more than $179.3m (£145m) in guarantees. The 24-year-old will earn around $51m (£41.2m) a year, which eclipses four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers as the highest-paid quarterback in football.
The contract was negotiated by Hurts' agent Nicole Lynn of Klutch Sports. The deal is the largest contract ever completed by a female agent - and it includes a no-trade clause, which the Eagles have never inserted into a contract across the team’s 90-year history.
The decision by owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howard Roseman to include the no-trade clause highlights the immense faith the franchise has in Hurts as he enters his fourth season in the NFL. In 2022 - one year after reaching the playoffs for the first time in his career - Hurts won 14 of his 15 starts in the regular season to lead Philadelphia to the NFL’s best record.
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He’s only the sixth Eagles QB to lead more than one team to the postseason: Tommy Thompson (1947-1949), Ron Jaworski (1978-1981), Randall Cunningham (1988-1990, 1992), Donovan McNabb (seven times from 2000 through 2009) and Nick Foles (2013, 2017 and 2018). Only Cunningham, McNabb and Foles were drafted by the Eagles, so Hurts is in even more exclusive Philly company.
Jalen Hurts has become the highest-paid player in NFL history, earning $51million annually (AP)Hurts arguably shone brightest on the biggest stage. Against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, he threw for 304 yards and a score with a 71 per cent completion rate, while he also rushed for three touchdowns.
During the regular season, Hurts tallied 3,702 passing yards to go with 760 rushing yards as he scored 35 total touchdowns. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection and was a runner-up for NFL MVP behind Mahomes while he finished third in Offensive Player of the Year voting.
Hurts is the latest quarterback to receive a lucrative extension this offseason, following the New York Giants’ Daniel Jones and Geno Smith of the Seattle Seahawks. Cincinnati Bengals superstar Joe Burrow and Los Angeles Chargers ace Justin Herbert are expected to follow suit with new deals before the start of the regular season - and they will both look at Hurts’ deal as the bar.