Lamar Jackson Rumor Only the Beginning as Jalen Hurts Enters Contract Year

Rumors are dicey. Rumors are controversial.

This world loves a good juicy rumor, and it's always been this way. People choose whether to believe rumors or not, or grow it by entertaining the conversation.

The latest rumor involving Jalen Hurts should be taken with a grain of salt.

There has been a connection regarding Hurts and Lamar Jackson, as both players are facing cloudy futures with their current teams. Both Hurts and Jackson signed their contract extensions in 2023, within a week of each other.

The contracts fall nearly the same way too. Jackson has just $1.3 million in guaranteed money this year, the fourth year of his five-year, $260 million extension he signed in 2023. There is no guaranteed money coming Jackson's way after this season -- marking the urgency for an extension.

Hurts is in the third year of his five-year, $255 million extension. he's owed $51.5 million in guaranteed money this year and $22 million next season, so there will be talks on whether Hurts will be getting another extension soon.

The Eagles are going to keep their options open at quarterback. They've done it before with Donovan McNabb to Kevin Kolb -- and even Kolb to Michael Vick. The same goes with Carson Wentz to Jalen Hurts several years ago.

Both situations were different, but the Eagles have been aggressive at the position when necessary.

Anything is possible, of course. A connection to Jackson? Seems like something you couldn't make up in Madden.

The only way rumors will go away

There is going to be talk regarding Hurts and his future with the Eagles until a contract decision is made. The Eagles don't have to give Hurts a contract extension this offseason, nor would it be smart to do so.

Howie Roseman and the front office would be wise to let the 2026 season play out, especially with Hurts learning a new offense (again). Hurts has been adaptable to new offensive systems and new coordinators in the past, but Sean Mannion's scheme is radically different.

What if Hurts has a season like his 2025 campaign? Hurts completed 64.8% of his passes for 3,224 yards with 25 TD to 6 INT for a 98.5 passer rating. The completion percentage was the lowest for Hurts in a season since 2021 while the passing success rate (41.8%0 was the lowest ever in a full season for Hurts.

On top of the passing deficiencies, Hurts' running numbers were down from previous years. The rushing touchdowns decreased from 14 to 8, while the rushing yards dipped from 630 to 421. Hurts' yards per carry went down from 4.2 to 4.0 as well.

Hurts had his worst season running the football since entering the NFL, having just 74 yards after contact and averaging 0.7 yards after contact -- both career lows. The Eagles took away Hurts dual-threat ability, whether that was their choice or his.

Why Eagles need to bank on Hurts

Despite all of the struggles last season, the Eagles still went 11-6 and made the playoffs with Hurts as their quarterback. This was mostly because of the defense, but the risk-averse style of offense Hurts liked also prevented mistakes.

The Eagles gave Hurts the change he needed, firing Kevin Patullo and going with Sean Mannion and his style of offense. Hurts was still working with former quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler this offseason, a bit abnormal considering the changes the Eagles made.

All the Eagles do is win games under Hurts. The Eagles quarterback has a 57-25 record in his career as a starter, an astonishing .695 win percentage.

Amongst active quarterbacks with 50+ career starts, Hurts is third on the list -- behind Patrick Mahomes (.754) and Lamar Jackson (.710). These three quarterbacks are in the top-10 in win percentage for quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era.

Hurts does win games, and has been what this franchise needed in terms of managing the game and his leadership. He also is the only quarterback in NFL history to have 10+ passing touchdowns and 10+ rushing touchdowns in his postseason career, the only quarterback in the history of the Eagles to go to two Super Bowls -- winning one.

When Hurts has a poor season, he bounces back in big way. Hurts answered an okay 2021 campaign with a MVP-caliber 2022 season, then recovered from a subpar 2023 season with a Super Bowl title in 2024.

The contract is the contract, and it's not changing. Hurts is unlikely to get a contract extension this summer, and the Eagles aren't rushing to the negotiating table yet. That $51 million a year contract is a bargain, and Hurts is still the only $50 million a year player to win a Super Bowl.

Take that for what it's worth.

Hurts will have to prove to the Eagles he deserves another extension this year, and that's fine with him. If history repeats itself, Hurts will be rewarded in the end.

As for the Eagles pursuing Jackson? Just go in one ear and out the other.

As Hurts says -- "I didn't walk through fire just to smell the smoke."

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