Previously considered a "1B" in respect to his status making plays opposite star AJ Brown at wideout, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith is now the top dog of the wideout room amid Brown's departure to New England.
And with this being the case, he should soon be seeking top wideout money.
Anthony DiBona of the Philly Special with Josh Davis cited Smith's contract status as a potential move to be mindful of as training camp approaches.
"While many are rightfully focused on Carter’s contract situation, Philadelphia may consider rewarding another key player this offseason. Following the departure of Brown, DeVonta Smith is expected to step into the WR1 role in 2026 and beyond for the Eagles. Yet according to Over The Cap, Smith ranks just 19th among all wide receivers in average salary per year at $25 million.
"While the wide receiver market continues to explode, Smith has seemingly been left in the dust since he signed his contract extension two years ago. The 27-year-old wide receiver is entering his prime and many expect that he’ll receive the team captain patch again in 2026. Therefore, it would make a ton of sense to reward Smith now before he possibly places his name among the top five wide receivers in the NFL with his performance next season."
Durability, elite hands, and route running place Smith on the path to superstardom
Life without Brown in town means the Philadelphia Eagles should, in fact, be preparing for Smith and his representatives to seek a new deal in the future - should the coming season feature a sizeable spike in production given he's now the unquestioned primary passing target - one that reflects true No.1 wideout money.
Fresh off a strong campaign in which he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark (1,008 yards), Smith should have that captain patch on his jersey, while always bringing reliability into the equation. In five years with the Eagles, Smith has missed just four regular season games, including the 2024 season, when he suffered a hamstring injury. Other than that blip on the radar, Smith has been a model of consistency, and with hands renowned for being as sticky as any wideout's, Jalen Hurts' former Bama teammate is poised to take things to an entirely new level.
After watching past Eagles teams, most notably during the Donovan McNabb years, skimping at the wideout position, general manager Howie Roseman is now acutely aware of how impactful it is to keep elite talent locked and loaded at the position.
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The duo of Brown and Smith was incredibly successful over four seasons, and now that Smith is the unquestioned alpha of the wideout room, one can expect Roseman to reward him before long.
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