Roseman explains how Hurts deal came together so quickly originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Sometimes things can get ugly between an organization and a player when it comes to contract negotiations. The process can be drawn out, feelings can get hurt and permanent damage can be done.
Didn’t happen here.
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In fact, the deal between the Eagles and Jalen Hurts got done pretty quickly. Even earlier than most expected.
“Really just the way that everyone kind of made an effort to do this in a way that was really win-win,” Eagles GM Howie Roseman said on Thursday, just a few days after news of the extension broke. “I think it's a heck of a deal for Jalen. I think it's a heck of a deal for the Eagles.
“I think those are really the best kind of deals.”
This deal is a five-year extension that has Hurts under contract through the 2028 season. It’s worth $255 million, making Hurts the highest-paid player in NFL history.
But there were concessions on both sides. The Eagles got five years but Hurts got a no-trade clause. The Eagles got the structure they wanted but Hurts will get chunks of money in bonuses. The Eagles got to market before the other teams with extension-eligible QBs but Hurts got a deal that can pay him over a quarter of a billion dollars in the next six year.
So, yeah, it looks like a good deal for both sides.
Roseman took some time on Thursday to give a shout out to a few of the people who made it happen on both sides: Hurts and Hurts’ agent Nicole Lynn. And VP of football administration Jake Rosenberg and VP of transactions and strategic planning Bryce Johnston.
And, of course, Jeffrey Lurie.
Because the way the Eagles structured this deal is certainly unique. Most of the money in the early years will be paid out in bonus money, which will keep the salary cap figures low in those seasons. So not only did Roseman give Lurie credit for agreeing to do this extension now but he gave him credit for allowing them to structure it this way.
The thing about structuring it this way is that you need an owner willing and able to pay out lump sums in bonus money.
“There's no doubt it all starts with Jeffrey and his commitment to provide us every resource possible on and off the field to make this a championship caliber football team,” Roseman said. “So, it starts with him, and then we've got tremendous people inside this building who have great ideas and led in that department by Jake and Bryce.
“I think sometimes they come to me, and they have to slow it down and talk to me like I'm in third grade and explain it to me so I can get on the phone and explain it to somebody else. Understanding the ramifications of what we're doing. We're not pulling the wool over the eyes of anyone, any players or Jeffrey when we explain what we're doing here. We have a plan that doesn't just last for this year or next year. We're not trying to do anything where five or six years from now the Philadelphia Eagles won't be able to compete.
“I think that we understand what we're doing and why we're doing it, and you have to have a willingness with the players to also want to do things that's right for the team. Jalen and Nicole deserve a lot of credit, as well.”
The result of the way this deal was constructed is that the salary cap hits in the next few years remain extremely manageable.
There’s plenty of credit belonging to the Eagles on the structure of the deal but Roseman was quick to point out how important it was for Hurts’ camp to understand why the structure was so important.
“I think that's part of the deal by doing it at the time that we did and by being able to work together to do things that were important to them and important to us, and for us it's about flexibility around him,” Roseman said.
“This is the ultimate team game, and he needs to have talented people around him. Jalen recognized that; Nicole recognized that, to be able to do this in a way that also gives us an opportunity to get good players.”
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