Monday, April 17th was a monumental day for the Philadelphia Eagles and Jalen Hurts. The team and the quarterback have agreed to terms on a five-year contract extension worth $255 million. Nicole Lynn of Klutch Sports negotiated the deal, which has made the quarterback the highest paid player in the NFL today. It is also the largest contract ever negotiated by a female agent in sports history.
Hurts’ deal has $179.304 million in total guarantees, including $110 million fully guaranteed at signing and $126.5 million fully guaranteed by March 2024, as well as the first no-trade clause in Eagles’ history. Moreover, since he was a second round pick, Hurts was not eligible for a fifth-year option. The Eagles are fully confident in Hurts’ leadership abilities as well as on-field performance; all the while, Philadelphia can continue to build the team around Hurts, which was a major sticking point during negotiations.
Hurts was the 53rd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He would then take over the helm in the 2021 season. In that season, Hurts threw 16 touchdown passes against only nine interceptions, completing 61.3 percent of his passes for 3,144 yards. Hurts also was an impressive runner as he compiled 784 yards (5.6 yards per attempt) and 10 touchdowns.
In 2022, Jalen Hurts career took off. He completed 66.5% of his passes for 22 touchdowns and six interceptions, plus another 760 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. Hurts earned a Pro Bowl nomination and led the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII.
Also, Jalen Hurts will appear on the cover of Essence’s 2023 Men’s Issue. In this personal interview Hurts sheds light on the emotional sides of his career path as a pro football player and the powerful Black women in his life. Hurts is surrounded by the love of the Black women who raised him and continue to play integral roles in his life from his grandmother, his mom, his agent, the aforementioned Nicole Lynn, and to his girlfriend.
“I’m not doing anything to be different,” says Hurts. “I just think that’s the way it’s been ordained. I have the ultimate amount of respect for anyone who goes out there and grinds for something. Puts the work in, and they go get it done. I don’t put a gender on those things.”
Check out Jalen Hurts’ Love Letter to Black Women on Essence. The new cover will hit newsstands on April 25, 2023.