How Eagles know their investment is protected with Jalen Hurts
Just a couple days after the Eagles crushing loss in Super Bowl LVII, Jalen Hurts stood by his stall in the corner of the teams locker room answering questions, vowing to get better and to embrace the hunger after losing on the sports biggest stage.
The last thing he wanted to do was talk about himself or his pending pay day.
I think the thing that Im most focused on is winning, Hurts said in February. The only thing I care about is winning and ultimately winning a championship. There will be a day where that conversation can be had but today isnt that day.
That day has arrived for the 24-year-old franchise quarterback, who agreed to a five-year mega extension worth $255 million that will keep him with the Eagles through the 2028 season. But when the Eagles do hold that press conference to celebrate Hurts extension, hes not going to want to talk about himself then either. Thats not his style.
The Eagles didnt just pay Jalen Hurts the quarterback on Monday. They paid Jalen Hurts the person too.
And thats why they should feel like their investment is protected.
Theres an old expression that money doesnt change people; it simply reveals who they really are. If thats the case, this new contract is going to show us even more what we already know about Hurts: Hes more than an impressive football player. Hes an impressive guy.
One thing weve really learned about Hurts over the last few years is that hes wise beyond his years and hes willing to work for everything. Weve been regaled with stories of Hurts early arrivals and late nights at the NovaCare Complex, with his natural leadership tendencies and with the gravitational pull his teammates feel toward him.
When former offensive coordinator Shane Steichen was asked about the qualities he wants in his next quarterback in Indianapolis, the first thing he mentioned was that legendary Hurts work ethic.
The Eagles didnt simply pay Hurts for who he is off the field hes a pretty dang good football player too. But its safe to say that Hurts wouldnt have turned himself into an MVP candidate a few years after being a second-round pick if he didnt have that work ethic. And as much credit as Nick Sirianni, Steichen, Brian Johnson and others deserve for his growth, theres no question that Hurts put in the work.
And Im not about to start questioning that now; not even after this massive pay day.
Because, sure, Hurts wanted to get paid; who wouldnt? But his motivation is almost singularly focused on winning championships. Thats what he cares about.
The thing with Jalen is I am so optimistic about is he is has this incredible and Im not telling you anything you dont know here but seeing him virtually everyday he has an incredible passion for being phenomenal, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said at the NFL owners meetings last month. And you see that in the great ones. We all know in other sports, and with certain quarterbacks in this league, you can define them by obsession with detail and work ethic.
We always knew Jalen was talented, had a very live arm that we felt was discounted in college because he was such a great runner, and his character was always considered great. But maybe the advantage we had was we really respected his ability to throw the football and that would improve based on tremendous work ethic. I think the future is so great for him. He is 24-years old. Honestly, I dont know if I have ever met someone that mature at age 24. My son (Julian) is 27 and he is very mature but no. Jalen is the most mature 24-year old Ive ever come across.
This offseason, the Eagles never wavered publicly. They wanted to sign Hurts to a long-term extension and they expected to do so. Its a far cry from the beginning of the 2022 season when the whole city was wondering whether or not Hurts was going to be the franchise quarterback. He answered that question early and went on to have an MVP-caliber season.
Knowing what we do about Hurts, this contract isnt the finish line. Its a starting point. If anyone could ever be more motivated after securing the bag, its likely to be Hurts.
There are no guarantees of course and theres risk, including injury risk, anytime a team signs a player to a huge contract like this. Its really hard to win in the NFL, so its not like the Eagles have their ticket punched to the Super Bowl for the next six years, even in the weaker conference.
But there are a few things the Eagles dont have to worry about. They dont have to worry about whether or not Hurts will maximize his potential. They dont have to worry about whether or not hell put in the work. They dont have to worry about whether or not hes the right guy to be the face of the franchise.
They know the answers to all those questions already. The intangibles arent in doubt.
The Eagles didnt just invest in a football player. They invested in Jalen Hurts. At least that seems like a pretty safe bet.
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