Philadelphia Eagles extending Jordan Mailata is a no-brainer

The Philadelphia Eagles finalizing left tackle Jordan Mailata’s contract should take all of two seconds.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Saturday that Mailata is signing a four-year deal that could be worth up to $80 million in total value. The contract means Mailata is tied with Tennessee Titans’ Taylor Lewan for the seventh-highest paid left tackle in the league.

Too much too soon? We think not.

Mailata’s remarkable journey to the NFL has been told and retold to reveal just how impressive of a player he’s become. The former Australian rugby player became a 2018 seventh-round pick of the Eagles, and the rest is history.

Mailata was recently included on PFF’s list of the biggest breakout candidates based on preseason performances, and anyone watching his game knows he’s come a long way from his rugby ball-tossing days. The left tackle showed plug-and-play versatility when forced into a starting role in 2020, playing over 700 snaps and earning a 70.3 overall grade from PFF.

Philadelphia Eagles tackle star Jordan Mailata gets huge payday

Ever since training camp, Mailata has outplayed 2019 first-rounder Andre Dillard, who many believed would earn a starting position in 2021 despite suffering some injuries. But Mailata’s long-term extension has booted Dillard out of the starting lineup for the foreseeable future, and Dillard will likely have a reduced role as a backup or even a trade option.

Nick Sirianni knew exactly what he was doing when he officially made Mailata a starter: he was cementing his faith in Philly’s left tackle of the future. Mailata deserves this contract extension more than anyone else, and if he keeps improving at his rate, he’ll turn into the franchise star the Eagles never knew they wanted.

Currently, under offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, Philly has solidified their O-line while also grooming their young’uns for hopefully successful Eagles careers ahead. Along with Mailata, Lane Johnson has been signed through 2025, Jack Driscoll and Brett Toth are relatively newbies in the league, and there’s still Dillard if the team opts to keep him around.

Mailata, though, gets the honor of playing one of the league’s most premium positions, and he’s just now getting his due.

After starting 10 games last season, his workload in 2021 will increase, as will the expectations for him to perform on every snap he gets this year. This Eagles’ O-line has the potential to be the best in the league with Mailata, Johnson, Seumalo, Kelce, and Brooks set to take the field against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Philly took a chance on Mailata long ago, and they won big. It’s only fitting that Mailata should win big, too.