Jalen Hurts Proves He’s Worth Massive Contract Extension in Eagles’ Super Bowl Loss | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Jalen HurtsAP Photo/Brynn Anderson

The Philadelphia Eagles came up short in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, losing 38-35 to the Kansas City Chiefs. With that said, Jalen Hurts dazzled on the game’s biggest stage, doing all he could to give his team a chance at victory.

It was a game in which Hurts confirmed his sky-high value, demonstrating the immense potential Philadelphia has with him under center. Despite the loss, Hurts and the Eagles should have a bright future together—provided the team rewards him handsomely this offseason.

Hurts went 27-of-38 passing for 304 yards and a touchdown and tied Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis for a Super Bowl record of three rushing touchdowns. He also eclipsed Steve McNair’s record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in the Super Bowl, converted on a two-point conversion and had a couple of fourth-down conversions on a drive that resulted in a field goal before halftime.

No, Hurts didn’t play a perfect game. Notably, he lost a fumble that Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton scooped up and returned 36 yards for a score to tie the game at 14 in the second quarter.

However, Philadelphia looked like the better team through the first half and tied the game at 35 in the fourth quarter because of Hurts’ highlight-worthy performance. Overall, as a passer and ball-carrier, he accounted for all four of the Eagles’ touchdowns, finishing the game with 374 combined passing and rushing yards.

Like most Super Bowl contenders who fall short, the Eagles must find a way to build on a strong season. The front office should start by giving Hurts a massive contract extension in the coming weeks.

Jalen HurtsAP Photo/Matt Slocum

With so much buzz around quarterbacks across the league, ESPN’s Dan Graziano weighed in on Hurts’ future:

“I expect the Eagles to work to sign quarterback Jalen Hurts to an extension early in the offseason. They know the price has likely gone to $50 million a year or more, and with Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and the Chargers’ Justin Herbert also extension-eligible this summer, and a Lamar Jackson megadeal still possible, the prices at the top of the QB market could ratchet up quickly.”

Hurts’ market value will only increase over time as other young, ascending quarterbacks sign new contracts. So, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman should get an early start with his signal-caller as Hurts heads into the final year of his rookie contract.

If the Eagles strike a new deal with Hurts, they’ll likely have to let some of their impending free agents walk in March. Among the most notable players, Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Miles Sanders, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Isaac Seumalo and James Bradberry have expiring deals.

Nonetheless, the Eagles certainly have their quarterback and face of the franchise in Hurts. At the most important position, he’s worth a top-of-the-market contract, which will come at the expense of others on the roster.

Eagles fans may remember when the team signed Hurts’ predecessor, Carson Wentz, to a $128 million extension in 2019 and shake their heads in concern about the possibility of paying big money for another quarterback.

In fairness to Hurts, he made a tremendous third-year leap. Last year, he helped lead the Eagles to the playoffs, throwing for 3,144 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions with a 61.3 percent completion rate in 15 starts. This year, he finished with 3,701 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions with a 66.5 percent completion rate in the same number of starts. In back-to-back seasons, he rushed for 760-plus yards and 10-plus touchdowns.

Jalen Hurts (left) and Nick Sirianni (right)AP Photo/Chris Szagola

Hurts also generated MVP buzz before he sprained his shoulder, and he still earned a vote. After a divisional round win over the New York Giants, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni compared his quarterback to Michael Jordan, particularly his intangibles.

“As well as he’s run the football, as well as he’s thrown the football, reading defenses, accurate throws, as well as he’s done all that, what you notice first about [Hurts] is his will to win, his competitive drive.

“That comparison is kind of in that aspect of it. Again, was I around Michael Jordan? No, but I was able to watch from afar when I was a kid, but then also you’re able to watch these documentaries and you see that common denominator of those things—the first thing you asked me about Jalen, I always talk about all those things, all the intangibles that he has.”

Based on Hurts’ growth, performance over the past two years and what he brings to the team beyond his production numbers, what more can he do to prove he’s worth close to $50 million per year? Hurts checks all the boxes. Moreover, at just 24 years old, he’s still on the rise with room to improve in the coming seasons.

Last offseason, the Arizona Cardinals signed quarterback Kyler Murray to a five-year, $230.5 million extension, and he’s averaging $46.1 million per year. Keep in mind that the Cardinals haven’t won a postseason game (0-1) with him at the helm.

Along with significant growth between his second and third seasons, Hurts has helped lead the Eagles to the playoffs in back-to-back terms, including Sunday’s Super Bowl appearance. He nearly propelled his team to a title victory over what looks like a rising dynasty in Kansas City.

Jalen HurtsAP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

Even in a crushing loss, the Eagles can see the stardom in Hurts as he continues to exceed expectations as a second-round pick out of Oklahoma in 2020.

As we saw in Sunday’s loss, Hurts is more than just an efficient passer who can make defenders miss on foot. He can also challenge defenses with vertical throws over the top. Both wideouts A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith hauled in passes for 45 yards in critical moments of the game. Hurts has also built a strong rapport with tight end Dallas Goedert this season.

While the Eagles might lose center Jason Kelce to retirement, and they may not have the cap space to re-sign Seumalo, Hurts’ dynamic playmaking ability can mask holes across the offensive line as interior lineman Cam Jurgens gets up to speed next year.

Hurts can do it all, and he’s just getting started in the early stages of his career. Yet, the Eagles already have an open Super Bowl window with him. He’s worth every penny of a massive extension, and Roseman will likely do the right thing and pay the man.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.