PHILADELPHIA — For the first time in his young career, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is eligible to sign a contract extension. Two days removed from the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, Hurts briefly touched on that looming conversation.
The 24-year-old also made it clear he still was dealing with the emotions from Sunday’s outcome.
“I think the thing that I’m most focused on is winning,” Hurts said Tuesday. “The only thing I care about is winning and ultimately winning championships.
“There will be a day where that [contract extension] conversation can be had, but today isn’t that day.”
Hurts finished his third regular season as the runner-up for league MVP after he passed for 3,701 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was named second-team All-Pro and was a finalist for offensive player of the year.
Playing in front of a global audience in the Super Bowl, Hurts was spectacular. He threw for 304 yards and one touchdown while setting a Super Bowl record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 70. He ran for three touchdowns, tying another Super Bowl mark. Aside from his lost fumble that the Chiefs returned for a score, Hurts arguably could not have performed better on the sport’s biggest stage.
“I think there’s definitely a lot to learn from,” he said. “I’m going to move forward with all of those experiences in mind and try to use those things to better myself and grow and help the guys around me. ... I don’t do it for the approval [of] anyone else. I appreciate everything that comes with it. But I’m not campaigning to be loved; I’m not campaigning to be hated.
“I’m just trying to be the best player I can be for this city, for my teammates, for my family — everyone that’s been with me on this journey.”
The NFL’s salary cap is expected to increase to about $224.8 million for the 2023 season. OverTheCap.com estimates Hurts’ annual valuation to be around $38.3 million, although he could command as much as $50 million based on lucrative contracts being given to other quarterbacks across the league.
Based on annual average salary, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers makes the most among NFL quarterbacks at $50.3 million, followed by Denver’s Russell Wilson ($49 million), Arizona’s Kyler Murray ($46.1 million), Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson ($46 million), Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes ($45 million), and Buffalo’s Josh Allen ($43 million).
Across the league, there is expected to be movement regarding the position and contract extensions this offseason. Hurts, who was selected in the second round of the 2020 draft, joins Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, the L.A. Chargers’ Justin Herbert, Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, and Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa as part of the soon-to-be-paid franchise quarterback club.
“He’s been built like that: Jalen proved he can be one of the best quarterbacks in the league,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “That’s something that we all believe in. We see it every day. I’m glad he balled out like that.”
