Maybe we should have seen this mega-contract coming all along, even though it seemed so preposterous when the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 draft.
After all, it was less than a year after the Eagles had already committed to Carson Wentz as the franchise quarterback, with Wentz signing a record-breaking contract at the time.
Ideally, Wentz would have lived up to his contract and signed another, and Hurts would have either served as a backup/gadget-play QB, or the Eagles would have traded him in return for an early-round pick.
Either way, it was foolhardy to think that Hurts would sign an NFL record-breaking contract that would dwarf Wentz’s. Hurts’ deal is worth as much as $255 million over five years, with $179 million guaranteed.
But the signs were there all along. Here are eight:
1. Dec. 13, 2020, vs. Saints
This was Hurts’ first start as an NFL quarterback. Wentz was benched in the third quarter the week before against Green Bay, and then-coach Doug Pederson named Hurts the starter against the Saints, who at the time were on a nine-game winning streak. The Eagles, meanwhile, were 3-8-1.
Hurts, mostly with his legs, led the Eagles to a 17-0 lead late in the first half as they held on for a 24-21 win. Hurts threw for 167 yards and ran for 106 more. Miles Sanders added 115 yards on the ground as the Eagles had 246 yards rushing as a team.
It was the first time Hurts showed how dynamic he could be with his legs. Needless to say, Hurts earned another start. He threw for 338 yards and three TDs and rushed for another 63 yards the next week in a 33-26 loss to Arizona.
RECORD SETTER:Eagles make Jalen Hurts highest-paid player in NFL history with $255 million contract
A RUNNING NEED:Did Eagles owner tip his hand on taking one of top running backs in Round 1 of NFL draft?
2. May 2021 spring practice
Hurts went 1-3 as a starter while replacing Wentz at the end of the 2020 season. Afterward, Pederson was fired, Nick Sirianni was hired and Wentz was traded to Indianapolis.
Sirianni said heading into spring practice that Hurts would have to compete for the starting job with veteran Joe Flacco, the former University of Delaware star and Super Bowl winner.
Hurts welcomed the competition, unlike Wentz a few months earlier.
“For me, I know rent is due every day,” Hurts said then. “I know I’m not above anything with competition or football IQ.”
Hurts won the job, not to mention the respect of his coaches and teammates.
3. Sept. 12, 2021, vs. Falcons
Nobody knew what to expect with new coach Sirianni in his first game. But we got a glimpse of Hurts’ potential in the Eagles’ 32-6 destruction of the Falcons in Atlanta. Hurts completed 27 of 35 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns, and he rushed for 62 more yards.
Hurts’ onslaught included DeVonta Smith’s first NFL reception, an 18-yard touchdown pass. Hurts had a passer rating of 126.3, his highest until midway through the 2022 season.
4. Oct. 3, 2021, vs. Chiefs
This should’ve been a mismatch, with the Chiefs coming off a Super Bowl berth and the Eagles limping into the game with a porous defense. Yet Hurts matched Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes pass for pass into the fourth quarter. The Chiefs led just 28-23 when Kenny Gainwell scored with 12 minutes left.
In the end, Mahomes was too much. He threw for 278 yards and five TDs as the Chiefs eventually pulled away for a 42-30 win. Hurts threw for a career-high 387 yards with two touchdowns.
To the Eagles, that game showed why Hurts wouldn’t be intimidated by facing Mahomes and the Chiefs 16 months later in the Super Bowl.
5. Jan. 16, 2022, vs. Buccaneers in playoffs
This might have been Hurts’ worst game in the NFL. The Eagles, after finishing with seven wins in their final 10 games to get into the playoffs, fell behind 31-0 in their 31-15 loss to the defending Super Bowl champions. Hurts threw two interceptions as the Bucs exposed every weakness in Hurts’ game, primarily by making him roll to his left.
Hurts then proclaimed in his post-game press conference, while wearing a walking boot, that “this game does not define us. … I know as a football team, we’ll be back.”
A few weeks later, Hurts had ankle surgery, starting an offseason in which his status as the starting QB was questioned while the Eagles reportedly looked into trading for Deshaun Watson and/or Russell Wilson.
But Hurts worked tirelessly to improve, and the Eagles eventually helped him out by trading for star wide receiver A.J. Brown.
6. Oct. 30, 2022, vs. Steelers
You would be hard-pressed to find a better two-game stretch by any quarterback than what Hurts did against the Steelers and then again four days later in Houston against his hometown Texans. Each time, Hurts did it with his arm, not his legs.
Against Pittsburgh, Hurts completed 19 of 28 passes for 285 yards and four TDs for a passer rating of 140.6 in the 35-13 win. All four TDs were from at least 27 yards out − three to Brown. Against the Texans, Hurts completed 21 of 27 passes for 243 yards and two TDs for a rating of 128.9 in the Eagles’ 29-17 win.
In two games, Hurts completed 40 of 55 passes for 528 yards, six TDs and no interceptions for a passer rating of 139.1.
7. Dec. 18, 2022, vs. Bears
This is where Hurts proved his toughness, both physically and mentally. Hurts threw two interceptions early. Then he suffered a sprained shoulder while getting tackled in the third quarter. With the ailing shoulder, Hurts uncorked a 68-yard bomb to Brown that led to a hard-fought 25-20 win on a frigid afternoon with wind chills near zero degrees.
“I want those guys to look me in the eyes and know there’s not a doubt,” Hurts said. Hurts sat out the next two games with the shoulder injury (both losses) before returning in the regular-season finale against the Giants, even though Hurts was still injured.
8. Feb. 12, 2023, vs. Chiefs in Super Bowl
There isn’t much more to say after Hurts’ classic performance where he threw for 304 yards and a touchdown and ran for 70 yards more with two more TDs. Hurts set or tied four Super Bowl records.
The Eagles were already convinced that Hurts was worthy of a lucrative contract extension. It was just a question of when − and how much.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
