Eagles stars in line to cash in next following the Jalen Hurts extension
Well, here we are. Things are really going to get interesting now, aren’t they? Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, here’s what you missed on an action-packed Monday. The Philadelphia Eagles made the announcement we’ve been waiting to hear for a while. Ten days ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, Jalen Hurts and the Birds jumped the broom.
A five-year, $255 million deal with $179 million guaranteed keeps QB1 in the City of Brotherly Love through the 2028 campaign. Now, the questions officially begin.
How will his deal be structured? Will this obstruct the ability to sign others? How will an ever-increasing salary cap open up options for Philly to add to the roster later?
While we won’t know the answers until we see things play out, we know Hurts’ extension will play a role in how Philly is forced to build around him during the six seasons on the horizon. That brings us to today’s discussion.
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Which Eagles are the most likely candidates for being next in line for a pay increase?
With every extension in every franchise comes the unavoidable conversations about ripple effects. Admittedly, we thought the Jalen Hurts extension would be hammered out and announced post-draft. Instead, Philly moves two months after Super Bowl LVII.
What about the rest of this roster though? Who might be next to see their number come up? What about those other questions?
Does this mean the Eagles can’t sign DeVonta Smith? How does this affect our draft strategy? Does that mean (insert player name) walks eventually?
We’re going to have a lot to discuss in the years to come, but let’s talk about that young core. If we were forced to make guesses about the next shoes to drop. Here are a handful of Birds worth mentioning.
Haason Reddick, linebacker
Don’t look now, but after signing a three-year, $45 million deal with the Eagles in March of 2022, by today’s standards, Haason Reddick seems underpaid. To his credit, he hasn’t mentioned that, but after playing the coming season on his current deal, he may ask for some assurances next offseason.
Landon Dickerson, guard
DeVonta Smith, being a first-round draft choice will, no doubt, see the Eagles take advantage of a built-in fifth-year option in his rookie deal. That will make him eligible for free agency in 2026. Things are slightly different in the case of Landon Dickerson who you know has no such option.
Now in the third year of his rookie deal, it wouldn’t be shocking if the Eagles hammer an extension out for the now-Pro Bowl guard next offseason. No one would complain if he continues on the path he is on. He answered questions about durability and appears to be headed toward a long and prosperous career.
Greedy Williams? Terrell Edmunds?
Greedy Williams and Terrell Edmunds enter their first seasons as Eagles. Both are on one-year deals. Both are low-risk, high-reward guys. If we’re being honest, we believe these signings will be more of the ‘boom’ than ‘bust’ variety.
Don’t be shocked if they outplay their current price tags and are asked to hang around past the coming season.
Possible players to be named later
Unexpected signings… Trades to be ironed out later… There’s a possibility that the next massive Eagles signing involves someone who isn’t here, someone playing on another roster.
The Eagles are a destination franchise now. No one holds his cards closer to the vest than Howie Roseman. Remember the trades for Darius Slay and A.J. Brown? In other words, expect the unexpected.
Speaking of A.J. Brown… (a few random thoughts):
As is the case with DeVonta Smith, we have some time before we’ll be forced to stress over what another mega deal for A.J. Brown might look like. He is signed through the 2026 season, but the Eagles have an out in his deal during the 2025 offseason.
A.J. represents a $27.7 million cap hit, a $22.7 million cap hit, and a $37.7 million cap hit in 2024, 2025, and 2026 respectively. A dummy year (2027) has been tacked on to the backend of his four-year, $100 million extension. We’ll have plenty of time to make some educated guesses, but we may be talking about a new deal sooner than you think.
