Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a new, mega extension that undoubtedly impacts Lamar Jackson’s contract negotiations with the Baltimore Ravens (and other interested teams). Hurts signed a five-year $255 million deal that makes him the highest paid player in the NFL.
Hurts is the first of a series of quarterback extensions expected this year. Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow will likely sign extensions this off-season, with the Hurts deal laying the groundwork.
Under his new deal, the Eagles signal caller will now earn $51 million per year, eclipsing Aaron Rodgers’ deal with the Green Bay Packers. Hurts’ deal includes just over $179 million guaranteed as well as a no-trade clause. What does Hurts’ new deal mean for Jackson’s contract leverage?
Jalen Hurts has the highest average annual salary in the #NFL at $51 million.
First no-trade clause in league history.
Making less guaranteed money than Deshaun Watson and Kyler Murray.
A contract that sets #Eagles up to continue winning. Think Patrick Mahomes and #Chiefs.
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) April 17, 2023
Jalen Hurts Deal is Latest Development for Lamar Jackson’s Contract Saga
2022 Off-Season
So far, Jackson’s cold war with Baltimore has been a mighty standoff. Negotiations got off to a rocky start last offseason. However, it was abundantly clear at the very beginning that both Baltimore and Jackson were keen to keep their partnership alive. Despite the mutual acknowledgement of this, the team and player were unable to come to terms on a deal.
It was reported that Jackson turned down $200 million in guarantees in September. This was more guaranteed money than Kyler Murray’s new extension, but less than Deshaun Watson’s $230 million fully guaranteed deal. Many have speculated that Jackson is after a deal similar to Watson’s. Both Jackson and the Ravens allegedly agreed to not speak about the contract situation during the 2022 season.
2022 and 2023 Off-Season
The ceasefire was short-lived, however. A new report came out during Jackson’s PCL rehabilitation that he was ‘not happy’ with the Ravens front office (due to the contract situation). Insiders suggested that he was less committed than usual, and some even alleged he was purposefully absent and lax in his rehab. This was played down by the Ravens at the end of the season. DeCosta and Baltimore both reiterated that Jackson was the franchise quarterback, and that a long-term deal was being pieced together.
No agreement was reached again, resulting in the team placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on him after a scandal-filled start to the off-season. While this appeared a masterstroke at first, Jackson soon publicly declared that he requested a trade from the Ravens. No teams are clear frontrunners for Jackson’s services currently, giving Baltimore enough time to try and figure something out with the 2019 MVP. It is speculated that Odell Beckham Jr.’s arrival was Baltimore’s way of appeasing Jackson.
As it stands, Hurts’ deal is the latest development within Jackson’s contract saga. The deal that Philadelphia and Hurts agreed upon was similar to the deal that was offered to Jackson in September 2022 (but with even fewer guarantees). Given that Hurts, a quarterback that led his team to the Super Bowl in 2022, has accepted a non-fully guaranteed contract, it appears that Jackson has no leverage to demand a fully guaranteed contract now.
Does Hurts Deal Provide Blueprint for Jackson’s Contract Extension?
The similarities between Hurts and Jackson cannot be overlooked. Both are faces of their franchise and well loved by their teammates. Hurts recently led his side to the Super Bowl and showed immense character and leadership. Jackson is imperative to Baltimore’s offensive success and gave the fans a supreme 2019 MVP campaign. Both players are also very mobile and reliant on their legs. While Hurts’ injury history has not been as troubled as Jackson’s, both players take big hits due to their running styles. On these bases, Hurts’ deal should indeed provide a blueprint for Jackson’s contract.
As such, Baltimore will need to find other ways of making it work. The use of a no-trade clause is interesting. It provides Hurts with much more security and shows Philadelphia’s faith in him. Could this be something that Baltimore utilize for Jackson’s deal?
Another question could be whether Jackson should get a five-year deal. In the not-so-distant past, four-year deals were the norm. Given his injury history, could Jackson compromise for more guaranteed money on a shorter deal?
At the end of the day, something must budge. As it stands, it does not appear Jackson has much of a leg to stand on. His desire for a fully guaranteed five-year deal is simply unattainable. While Watson received said deal in 2022, he is viewed as the outlier. Should Jackson wait for Burrow and Herbert to also sign their deals, he could lose even more leverage in the negotiations (assuming they also do not receive fully guaranteed extensions).
The latest on Jackson’s situation is that he has been offered a deal with $200 million guaranteed, and $133 million guaranteed on a shorter deal.
"The deal that the Ravens offered Lamar Jackson was pretty strong..
$200M was the total guaranteed and the $133M was guaranteed on a shorter deal" @RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/QJHJV3e97L
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 17, 2023
