Ranking the Eagles six most applaudable examples of salary cap ingenuity

The Eagles’ are asking a lot from their starting QB and left tackle, and they get both at a number lower than their market value.

Almost one full year after Jordan Mailata put pen to paper on a four-year, $64 million contract extension that included $40.85 million guaranteed, his deal is still getting rave reviews and has for some time. Teams invest top dollar into protecting their quarterback’s blindside, and the Birds have done that here.

Still, by extending Mailata sooner rather than later, the Eagles have saved themselves some money. Mailata could be a Pro Bowl-level talent for years to come, and 21 left tackles will make more money than him during the coming season.

We normally aren’t discussing guys who make $1.64 million when we discuss potential franchise signal callers. That’s how the ball bounces when you’re formerly a second-round draft choice though.

There are only 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Jalen Hurts will earn the lowest wage of all of them. He’ll also make less than 25 backups during the 2022-2023 season.

There’s still one more year remaining on his rookie deal, making him an unrestricted free agent in 2024. If he balls out in his second full season as the starter, don’t be shocked if the Eagles lock him up early to save themselves some money they’d have to spend by waiting.

With Hurts playing the game’s most important position, some could argue that he deserves to be ranked higher than number four. With our uncertainty about his job security going forward, we’ll put a few more names ahead of him on this list.