Jalen, Can You Spare A Dime?

Jalen Hurts is a rich man. The Eagles just signed him to an extension, making Hurts the highest paid player in the NFL. Good for Hurts. And good for the Eagles.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1647978232992485377

Every franchise wants star players. Not all franchises want to pay them and some don’t manage the relationship well. Just look down the road to see the strained relationship between the Ravens and Lamar Jackson. Things aren’t good when the face of the franchise is asking for a trade. How do you let things fall apart like that?

Any Eagles fan old enough to remember the Norman Braman days saw the team lose Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, Seth Joyner, Eric Allen, Keith Byars and Keith Jackson in free agency. You don’t want to draft and develop players like that only to see them walk away.

You have to pay them. You should want to pay them.

Howie Roseman and Jeff Lurie do a great job of paying star players and keeping them happy. You aren’t going to win big in the NFL unless you have star players. They get that and act accordingly.

Hurts is the kind of player you want to give big money to. He is incredibly driven. Having a few extra bucks in the bank isn’t going to change his focus from getting better and wanting to win championships, Tom Brady was the same way. Patrick Mahomes too. Not all players handle big money well. It has caused more than a few to go soft and lose their edge. I know having tens of millions of dollars would change me quite a bit. Hurts is a different guy. His competitive drive is part of what makes him special.

This deal was going to get done. It was just a question of when. Now the Eagles can focus on the draft or making trades or whatever is next on the agenda.

Hurts is the highest paid QB now. That doesn’t mean he’s the best. Contracts are highly fluid. Lamar Jackson could get a deal. Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow are both eligible for new deals. They could outdo Hurts contract. That’s the way these things go. You’re on top until the next guy gets his deal.

It is funny to think about how far Hurts has come in a year. Last April we had questions about how good he could be. Hurts answered them emphatically and led the Eagles to the Super Bowl. Now the question is if Hurts can keep getting better. With Hurts drive, focus and work ethic, I expect him to improve.

There is always risk in a deal like this. Carson Wentz fell apart. Russell Wilson was horrible for Denver last year. Injuries are an X-factor. Age is a concern for some guys. Hurts is in the prime of his career and has the same coach, good players around him and the backing of everyone in the organization. He’s in position to be good for a while.

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We don’t know the exact terms of the deal. Mike Florio reported it has been agreed to, but not actually signed yet.

Here is what’s been reported in terms of cap figures.

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1648101167619100683

The amounts of bonuses and structure of the deal with give us more insight. It does sound like Hurts took a deal that won’t handcuff the Eagles in terms of the cap. If a QB fights for every penny possible, he’s going to have a lesser cast around him. Hurts is all about winning football games, not contract situations.

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Hurts isn’t a very flamboyant guy. He might need some help in figuring out how to spend that money. Being the decent, caring guy that I am, I’ve got a few suggestions, all completely reasonable.

The most obvious choice is hiring a team of Gymkata trained assassins to go after Jimmy Bama. Gymnasts trained in karate and then turned loose to go after Jimmy…what’s not to love. For those not familiar with Gymkata, soak in the greatness of this.

Jimmy would never be able to go near uneven parallel bars for the rest of his life. Jalen can make that happen with a quick phone call.

I would love for Jalen to donate $500 to Peter King’s favorite charity…on the condition that Pete will quit complaining about the QB sneak. Or Jalen could send the Gymkata team to adjust Pete’s attitude about the beauty of the sneak.

Jalen could always buy BluRay box sets of the Fast and the Furious series and give them out to people of need. That’s a sure way to put smiles on some sad faces.

I think building a house out of Funyuns would be fun. You’d always be near a delicious, nutricious snack!

So many great ideas…

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Jalen Hurts had surgery to remove 'hardware' from ankle this offseason, sources say: https://t.co/cIJN06EWwi

— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) April 18, 2023

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