Will Jalen Hurts Reward Eagles' Super Expectations?
It's not exactly the old Sports Illustrated cover jinx or the more recent Madden video game curse, but becoming the NFL's highest-paid player isn't exactly a guarantee of future success.
Where those before him have failed, can Philadelphia Eagles' newly christened kingpin Jalen Hurts succeed?
Perhaps the name Carson Wentz rings a bell. Four years ago, the Eagles gave the No. 2 overall pick a four-year, $128 million extension. At the time, his $107 million guaranteed was the largest in the NFL. We know all too well how that story ended.
After a breakout season in which set records and led his team to the Super Bowl, Hurts ascended to the top of the NFL salary mountain by this week signing a five-year, $255 million contract. The deal averages $51 million per season, most for any player in the league for 2023. His $179 million in guaranteed money is the third-largest amount in NFL history behind only the Cleveland Browns' Deshaun Watson ($230M) and Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals ($189M).
To paraphrase the old quote: To whom much is given, much is expected.
After losing a heart-breaking, 38-35, Super Bowl LVII to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Eagles rewarded Hurts with a record-setting contract that comes with the expectation of the franchise's second championship by the time it expires in 2028.
But it doesn't always work that way.
Patrick Mahomes signed his monumental 10-year, $500 million deal in 2020 and rewarded the Chiefs with a Super Bowl. But his per-season average salary of $45 million per season now ranks only 6th-highest. He will almost assuredly get bumped further down the list when the likes of Justin Herbert (Chargers), Joe Burrow (Bengals) and Lamar Jackson (Ravens) ink new deals.
The Cowboys in 2021 signed Dak Prescott to a contract that averaged $40 million and since he's won only one playoff game. Behind Hurts on the highest-paid list are Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson, who both won Super Bowls but are far removed from their peak success. Rodgers won his Super Bowl in 2011; Wilson in 2016. Neither will suit up for those teams in 2023.
While those two quarterbacks are reaping the benefits of past performance, Hurts and Murray, Watson and the Bills' Josh Allen are paid to win in the future, if not the present.
NFL QBs Average Salary
1. Jalen Hurts, Eagles $51 million
2. Aaron Rodgers, Packers $50.2
3. Russell Wilson, Broncos $49
4. Kyler Murray, Cardinals $46.1
5. Deshaun Watson, Browns $46
6. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs $45
7. Josh Allen, Bills $43
8. Matthew Stafford, Rams, $40
9. Dak Prescott, Cowboys, $40
10. Daniel Jones, Giants, $40
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