Philadelphia Eagles' DeVonta Smith Earned Big Contract?

Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith is worth every penny of the new contract.

DeVonta Smith and his representation could have waited patiently to see the new contracts that will soon be coming for co-star NFL receivers Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Brandon Aiyuk, and even Jaylen Waddle.

Instead, the Philadelphia Eagles receiver gladly took what the team offered, and why not?

A contract that will pay him $25 million per season for the next three years with $51M guaranteed is a good deal, one well-earned by Smith. The extension was agreed to as the Eagles began Phase One of their offseason program on Monday and will keep Smith with the Eagles through 2028 because Philly also picked up his team option for 2025, which is expected to pay him upwards of $16M.

Smith is one of the best receivers in the NFL, even if he gets overshadowed a bit on his own team with the brilliant presence of A.J. Brown, and the Eagles rewarded that.

Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6)

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Smith has been equally brilliant as Brown since entering the league in 2021. In three seasons, he has made 240 catches for 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns. In the playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this year, Smith was the only player to show up, making eight catches for 148 yards.

Until he arrived, it had been a long time since the Eagles had a bona fide number one receiver. You probably have to go back to Alshon Jeffery in 2017 since that was the case. Jeffery though was a draft pick of the Chicago Bears. Smith is homegrown, and he won’t turn 26 until November.

Combined with the $21M salary the Eagles will pay A.J. Brown, Philly now probably has the two most expensive receivers in the NFL. They also have probably the best 1-2 receiver punch in the league.

The best part perhaps of the contract is that both Smith and Brown are being paid roughly about the same so there should be no animosity over who is making more.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts should have everything he needs now to return to his MVP level of play, with both Smith and Brown locked down, and the addition of running back Saquon Barkley in free agency.

Smith’s extension is the fifth given out by owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman, joining offensive linemen Landon Dickerson and Jordan Mailata, safety Reed Blankenship, and kicker Jake Elliott.

Hurts, Smith, Dickerson, Brown, and Elliott are signed through 2028. That's quite a foundation to build upon and speaks volumes to an organization that may not always get it right – no organization does – but values the players they have in-house and takes care of them if they feel they are deserving.

Look around the league at the unhappiness of Aiyuk, who may or may not have requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers because he wants a new deal and is scheduled to make $14.1M in the final year of his rookie contract.

And there’s the uncertainty of Jefferson’s new contract. The Minnesota Vikings picked up the fifth-year of Jefferson’s rookie contract last spring, but that carried with it a guaranteed salary of $19.7M they owe him this season.

Chase, who was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals five picks before the Eagles took Smith with the 10th overall selection in 2021, is still waiting for his new contract.

Smith didn’t wait and now he is happy and not going anywhere for a long time.