Jalen Hurts finished runner-up to Patrick Mahomes in AP NFL MVP voting and lost again to him when Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs beat Hurts' Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.

But no QB is atop Hurts now — Philadelphia's franchise player is about to become the highest-paid player in average annual value in NFL history.

Hurts and the Eagles are set to sign one of the richest deals in NFL history, agreeing to a five-year, $255 million extension, including $179.3 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday because the deal was not yet final.

The Eagles announced later Monday on social media that “QB1 is here to stay."

“Keeping the main thing in Philly,” they tweeted, referencing one of Hurts' mottos. “We’ve agreed to terms with Jalen Hurts on a 5-year extension through the 2028 season.”

The 24-year-old Hurts was expected to receive $51 million per season — topping Mahomes and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers — and only Cleveland's Deshaun Watson ($230M) and Arizona's Kyler Murray ($189.5M) received more in a single contract.

“Our job in this league is go out there and win football games and make money while doing it, and I'm glad the guys dong it the right way are getting the job security they deserve,” Mahomes said Monday.

Those numbers could be topped soon depending on how the contract situation between the Baltimore Ravens and QB Lamar Jackson plays out. In a series of tweets, the star quarterback said he requested a trade as of March 2. On March 7, the Ravens put the nonexclusive franchise tag on Jackson and said they were still hopeful they could reach a long-term deal with him.

If Jackson does come back without a new deal, he could play this season on Baltimore’s $32.4 million franchise tag.

Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert and Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow could each look to Hurts' deal as a framework for their looming extensions.

The Eagles know where Hurts will be this season.

Hurts delivered a record performance in the Super Bowl, throwing for 304 yards and a touchdown, running for 70 yards and three scores, and adding a game-tying 2-point conversion. Hurts and Mahomes were the first Black QBs to face off in a Super Bowl.

“He's someone that plays the position the right way, he goes about his business the right way,” Mahomes said. “That's why they were in the Super Bowl, and he played a great game in the Super Bowl, and proved a lot of people wrong that were still doubting him. It's great for the quarterback position, the Black quarterbacks coming up behind us. We know about Lamar and the situation there, getting these guys the deals they deserve.”

Philadelphia went 14-1 in Hurts' starts and he had 3,701 yards passing, 760 yards rushing and 35 touchdowns combined in the regular season. He led the Eagles to the top seed in the NFC and a playoff victory over the New York Giants and over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game.

The Eagles went 0-2 when Hurts sat out two late-season games because of a sprained right shoulder.

The Eagles stunned fans when they drafted Hurts out of Oklahoma in the second round in 2020. They seemingly had Carson Wentz entrenched at QB and had more pressing needs. Hurt was expected to serve as insurance for Wentz. Instead, he supplanted him and became one of the top young quarterbacks in the NFL.

Hurts' teammates were thrilled to have him back in Philly for years to come.

“Dinner on @JalenHurts!" right tackle Lane Johnson tweeted, along with money-bag emojis.

“my birthday is coming up at the right time!!!” tweeted wide receiver A.J Brown.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and agent Nicole Lynn negotiated the deal with Hurts, who was set to enter the 2023 season on the final year of his rookie contract. He didn't become the full-time starter until 2021.

Now, the Eagles can't imagine any other player taking the snaps.

___

AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi in Florida and AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Missouri contributed to this report.

Share:
More In Sports
Mike Tyson Talks His Ear-Shaped Edibles and the Future of Tyson 2.0 Brands
This June marks the 25th anniversary of the infamous 1997 "Bite Fight”, the iconic boxing rematch between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield when Tyson shockingly bit a piece of his opponent’s ear off. As a macabre tribute to the incident, the boxing legend’s line of cannabis products, Tyson 2.0, has released “Mike Bites", edibles in the shape of an ear complete with a bite mark. Tyson, the chief brand officer and co-founder, along with CEO Adam Wilks joined Cheddar News to talk about the unique gummies. "I just think this is just me owning what I did. I'm owning my responsibility. I've done that. That was pretty bad at the time, but I turned it over to make it pretty good," the former heavyweight champion said.
Former Olympic Figure Skater Nancy Kerrigan on Giving Back With Ice Dreams Tour
U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Famer and former Olympian Nancy Kerrigan spoke to Cheddar News about joining Ice Dreams, a national skating tour that connects legends of the sport with its next generation. Kerrigan spoke of the lessons she learned from the sport and how grateful she is for the opportunity to give something back. “I mean skating has taught me some of the greatest things in in my life," she said. "You know, you fall down, things get hard, but you get back up and you keep on trying. And if you're performing and doing something you love, I think you would actually do even better.”
Adidas Makes 'Big Splash' for Student-Athletes NIL Networking Offer
Sportswear giant Adidas is giving student-athletes the opportunity to become partners as affiliate brand ambassadors to help grow their networks as professional athletes. Attorney Darren Heitner, the founder of Heitner Legal, joined Cheddar News to talk about the legalities of the process. "It is absolutely a game-changer because we see a major brand make a big splash, nine months into name image and likeness rights for college athletes," he said. "While it is a paid brand affiliate type of partnership, it will open the door for 50,000-plus athletes across the country to start making some money, even if it's just through other people clicking their links and making purchases."
The 'Cinderella' Story of the Saint Peter's Peacocks
Saint Peter's University - a small school in New Jersey school - has skyrocketed to the center of the sports world in a 'Cinderella' story for the record books. The ultimate underdog of the men's March Madness tournament is just the third 15-seed to reach the Sweet 16, after beating Murray State and college basketball powerhouse Kentucky. Throughout the university's historic run, Saint Pete's has reportedly been earning what amounts to millions of dollars in publicity. Amanda Christovich, reporter for Front Office Sports, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
LaPhonso Ellis Talks NCAA Tournament
ESPN College Gameday LaPhonso Ellis joins Cheddar Bets to break down the NCAA Tournament so far, and who will make noise all the way down to New Orleans. Sponsored by BetMGM
Re-Ranking the Remaining Sixteen NCAA Teams
BetMGM Host Olivia Harlan Dekker joins Cheddar Bets to talk about lessons learned from this year's NCAA Tournament and to share which teams have the best value going forward. Sponsored by BetMGM
Load More