Jalen Hurts on Record-Breaking Contract: ‘Money Is Nice. Championships Are Better’

The Eagles quarterback explained why he didn’t push for more guaranteed money.

When Jalen Hurts signed his massive contract extension with the Eagles last week, he agreed to a deal that left a gap between the maximum dollar amount and the guaranteed figure. In total, Hurts has a chance to earn up to $255 million over five years. He will get $179.3 million guaranteed, which includes $110 million at signing.

On Monday, Hurts spoke with the media for the first time since agreeing to the deal, and the quarterback had a very simple answer as to why he didn’t demand a fully guaranteed pact.

“Money is nice. Championships are better,” he said.

Keep the main thing the main thing@JalenHurts | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/9GVtILrhfc

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 24, 2023

When Hurts expanded on that answer, he explained that he understands what it takes for a team to build a championship contender.

“Look at great teams and great players, it takes a village,” Hurts said, via CBS Sports’s Jonathan Jones. “We’ve got something special going on. We all want to do it for a long time. That was important to me to take that approach with it.”

Hurts is coming off a monster 2022 season, in which he accounted for 35 total touchdowns and finished second to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in MVP voting. Hurts led the Eagles to the Super Bowl but, despite a strong individual performance, came up just short against Kansas City.

Undoubtedly, the Eagles are looking to get back to the Super Bowl and redeem themselves, and no one seems more focused to do that than Hurts.