18 April 2023 , 21:52
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Patrick Mahomes heaped praise on Jalen Hurts for playing ‘the right way’ after the Philadelphia Eagles made the quarterback the highest-paid player in NFL history.
Hurts and Philadelphia agreed to a five-year deal worth $255million with more than $179.3m in guarantees on Monday. That will mean the quarterback will pocket around $51m a year and overtake Aaron Rodgers as the highest-paid quarterback in football - with the deal including the first no-trade clause of the Eagles' history.
Traditionally, the quarterback market dictates that the next star up for renewal sets the new record as Hurts has done on a per-annum basis. However, Mahomes inked the most lucrative contract in North American sports history when he signed a 10-year extension with the Kansas City Chiefs worth over $500m in 2020.
Mahomes clashed with Hurts in February’s Super Bowl LVII back in February, with his Chiefs coming out on top in a 38-35 epic. Hurts starred despite the loss, and Mahomes believes he deserves the record-breaking deal.
“He’s someone that plays the position the right way,” Mahomes said. “He goes about his business the right way, and that’s why they were in the Super Bowl. I mean, he played a great game in the Super Bowl and proved a lot of people wrong in the league who were still doubting him.
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“But obviously, it’s great for the quarterback position, the Black quarterbacks… our job in this league is to go out there and win football games - and make money while we do it. I’m glad to see the guys who are doing it the right way are getting the job security they deserve.”
Jalen Hurts starred for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII back in February (Getty Images)Hurts arguably shone brightest on the biggest stage - and his ability to do so is one reason why the Eagles have invested so much money in him. Against Mahomes’ Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, he threw for 304 yards and a score with a 71 per cent completion rate, while he also rushed for three touchdowns.
During the regular season, Hurts tallied 3,702 passing yards to go with 760 rushing yards as he scored 35 total touchdowns. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection and was a runner-up for NFL MVP behind Mahomes while he finished third in Offensive Player of the Year voting.
Hurts is the latest quarterback to receive a lucrative extension this offseason, following the New York Giants’ Daniel Jones and Geno Smith of the Seattle Seahawks. Cincinnati Bengals superstar Joe Burrow and Los Angeles Chargers ace Justin Herbert are expected to follow suit with new deals before the start of the regular season - and they will both look at Hurts’ deal as the bar.