Back in April 2023, Jalen Hurts signed that massive five-year, $255 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles—and yes, for a hot second, he was the highest-paid player in NFL history. But what makes this deal more remarkable is when you zoom in on the context and see the delicate time the signing came for the franchise. The Eagles were fresh off a heartbreaking Super Bowl 57 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs — a game in which Hurts put up a staggering 304 passing yards, rushed for 3 touchdowns, and nearly led Philadelphia back from a double-digit deficit. His performance drew universal praise; many called it the best Super Bowl performance by a losing quarterback in years. But the team was also in a tough spot financially. 

The Eagles were projected to be nearly $14 million over the 2023 salary cap (according to Spotrac and OverTheCap at the outset of the offseason), with key players like defensive back James Bradberry, cornerback Darius Slay, and center Jason Kelce set to become free agents. There were questions about whether the team could keep its core together and remain a contender. The pressure was on the franchise to find a way forward, to reward its young franchise quarterback without tying its future to a restrictive deal, and that’s precisely where Jalen’s priorities made all the difference.

According to his agent, Nicole Lynn, he honestly couldn’t have cared less about the money. She shared some key details about his contract that shed light on what Jalen truly wanted amid it all.

“Jalen is such a selfless guy, ” Lynn recently remarked in an interview while she reflected on what actually went behind negotiating the biggest deal in NFL history. “He told me to do the deal—he didn’t want any updates until the deal was done, which is very rare. You have a lot of clients, they’re like, “Give me every update. What’s the counter?” (But) He’s like, “I don’t want to hear anything. Just tell me when it’s done,” she added.

Behind the scenes, this meant structuring the deal in a way that kept future cap flexibility in mind. According to Spotrac, Hurts’ signing bonus was a staggering $23.29 million, and much of his base pay was backloaded, allowing the team to avoid a huge cap hit immediately. His cap number jumped from just $6.15 million in 2023 to about $13.56 million in 2024, then progressively climbed in subsequent years. That careful structuring lets Philadelphia maintain financial wiggle room to retain key players and stay competitive, instead of tying up all their resources in a single superstar.

He encapsulated what he wanted in four simple words: “Don’t screw the team. Make sure my team is around me.” That was everything that he wanted. He wasn’t out there to drain the Eagles’ wallet. All he was thinking about was the guys around him, the cap structure, and the locker room chemistry.

“And so, I actually remember coming back to him and the day that the deal was done and saying, ‘Hey, you’re the highest paid player in the NFL history’. And his response was, ‘Well, I didn’t ask you to do all that.’ And I was just like, uhh okay, thanks,” she added, highlighting how she expected the guy who just signed a deal worth $255 million would be the happiest man in the world. But that wasn’t the case with Hurts. “He was so concerned about his team—‘How am I going to keep my team around? How are they going to be paid?’ He wanted me to show him– How does it affect the cap?” She then shared how she eased Jalen’s concerns.

“So the option bonus has helped Jalen have peace that, hey, don’t worry that you’re getting $51 million a year. We’ve done it this way so it doesn’t affect the cap. The cap hit is not that large. Like, he needed to be educated on that before he’d let me accept the deal because he cared so much about his teammates.”

This approach meant his cap number remained manageable in the first few years of the deal, helping Philadelphia keep core players like Jason Kelce and Darius Slay while adding talent through free agency and the draft. His $51M average annual value made headlines, but the structure — and Hurts’ willingness to be flexible — meant it wouldn’t undermine the team’s ability to remain a contender in a tough division.

There was a time when the fans criticised Hurts for delaying the deal. And the obvious assumption was, he was trying to put more money in his pockets. And that’s fair. Deals typically drag on when the player wants more, which puts the franchise in a financial pickle. As for Hurts’ deal, that was far from it. Hence, the delay.

During the times when QBs are trying to chase every single dollar, Hurts was out there trying to preserve what actually matters to him—the team around him, and the franchise’s well-being.

Jalen’s Deal Changed More Than the Cap

The ripple effect of Hurts’ unselfishness? The dressing room is a clear reflection of it. Young guys in the locker room learn from it. The vets appreciate it. Hurts didn’t demand weapons; he protected them. As for the deal, they structured it exactly the way he wanted it to be.

After materializing the contract extension, Eagles GM Howie Roseman revealed, “Jalen’s deal gave us flexibility. It allowed us to retain players who are foundational to our success.” If you recall, the Eagles were able to sign All-Pro centre Jason Kelce, Corner Darius Slay, and DT Fletcher Cox in the 2023 offseason. Without completely pushing their salary cap to the brink. As per Sportrac, the Eagles carried just $12.5 million in dead cap, which was among the lowest in the league.

Let’s talk about the on-field aspect of it, too. When we see him on the field, we get the same guy between the lines. No ego, no excuses—just a leader through and through. He’s the guy who stays late after practice, helps out the younger QBs, and owns the tough moments without pointing fingers. Remember that 42-19 loss to the 49ers last season? He said, “We didn’t execute. That starts with me.” 

The numbers show it, too. He led the Eagles to a 15-1 record last season, throwing for 2,903 yards, 18 passing TDs, and just five interceptions. All this while having a passer rating of 103.7. We live in a time where contract negotiations become power plays, but Hurts flipped the script with four words every Eagles fan can get behind: Don’t screw the team.