Eagles reward Jordan Mailata with massive contract extension originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The remarkable Jordan Mailata story got a little bit more remarkable Saturday when he and the Eagles agreed to a monster contract extension that runs through 2025.
Mailata, who never played a snap of meaningful organized football on any level before last fall, agreed to a four-year deal worth $64 million with incentives that could raise the total value to $80 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The package includes $40.85 million guaranteed.
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Mailata, the Eagles’ 7th-round pick in 2018, is scheduled to earn $850,000 this year on the final year of his four-year, $2.49 million rookie contract.
Including only the new money and seen as a four-year deal starting in 2022, Mailata’s average annual salary of $16 million is second-highest on the roster behind Fletcher Cox’s $17.1 million average. Lane Johnson also averages $16 million. With Brandon Brooks averaging $14.1 million, three of the Eagles’ four-highest-paid players are offensive linemen. Eleven of the 16 highest averages on the team are either offensive or defensive linemen.
That $16 million figure is also 12th-highest among all NFL offensive tackles, according to Spotrac.
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Mailata, an Australian rugby player who became offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland’s long-term project, had never played football on any level before the Eagles drafted him. He didn’t play in 2018 and 2019 and finished both seasons on Injured Reserve with back injuries.
After injuries last year to Andre Dillard and Jason Peters, Mailata took over at left tackle in Week 4 and in 10 starts - nine at left tackle, one at right tackle - showed remarkable progress. He and Dillard competed for the starting left tackle job this summer, and it wasn’t close.
“For me, I’m just a lot more confident in myself,” Mailata said when asked what’s changed for him this year. “What I mean by that, is I know I can play this game.”
On Sunday, Mailata will make his first opening-day start. He’s still only 24, and the Eagles now have him under contract until he’s 29.
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