Jalen Hurts is one of those NFL Cinderella stories. The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback went from being a second-round pick in the 2020 Draft to playing in the Super Bowl and then being the highest-paid player in the league, with a net worth that exceeds all expectations.
Hurts came to the Eagles in 2020 as the 53rd overall pick. Doug Pederson, then the team’s head coach, placed him as his third quarterback, but little by little, the rookie gained the helmsman’s trust and finished the season as the starter after a prolonged slump for veteran Carson Wentz.
Following Pederson’s departure that same year, new head coach Nick Siriani decided to keep Hurts on the job, and together, they led the team to Super Bowl LVII, which they lost to Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs.
The Super Bowl run earned Hurts a juicy raise for the 2023 season, which boosted his average salary to as much as $50 million annually and his net worth to $30 million, according to sources such as Celebrity Net Worth and Sportskeeda.
Hurts’ new contract
After leading the Eagles to their second Super Bowl in five years, the team’s management decided to make their star quarterback the highest-paid player in the NFL with a massive five-year, $255 million contract, with $180 million guaranteed.
The new deal brought Hurts’ salary from the $610,000 he earned in his rookie year to the $50 million he will earn for the 2026 season. Although his base salary will be just over $1 million a year, Hurts will receive an option bonus that will increase annually until it reaches $49 million.
To his already considerable NFL salary, Hurts can add the lucrative endorsements he began signing almost since his arrival in the NFL, and that multiplied when he reached the Super Bowl in 2022.
Hurts’ endorsements
The Eagles star is one of the most recognizable faces in the NFL. Among his most lucrative endorsements is the one he signed with the Lemon Perfect brand of hydration drinks, which has the singer Beyonc among its shareholders.
Hurts is also the ambassador for Eastbay sportswear and became a shareholder in the company after getting the Eagles to sign an advertising deal for the brand’s Performance Line.
Hurts’ case seems like the classic rags-to-riches tale, but behind it lies a whole story of dedication and effort. There is no doubt that the quarterback still has a lot to give on the field, but it will also be interesting to see what he can achieve off it.
