How Jalen Hurts turned the highest-paid participant in NFL historical past

A yr in the past, the Philadelphia Eagles pulled off a pre-draft commerce with the New Orleans Saints, with the Eagles sending New Orleans a pair of 2022 first-round alternatives (in addition to a late-round decide) in trade for a package deal of picks together with the Saints’ 2023 first-round choice.

On the time, the transfer was seen at the least partially as a hedge on quarterback Jalen Hurts. Whereas the quarterback took a step ahead in 2021, there have been nonetheless lingering questions whether or not Hurts was going to be the staff’s long-term reply on the place.

A yr later? The Eagles are coming off a Tremendous Bowl look, and Hurts is now the highest-paid participant in NFL historical past.

What a distinction a yr makes.

The Eagles agreed to a brand new five-year take care of Hurts on Monday, price $255 million and probably as much as almost $275 million. The contract consists of $179.304 million in assured cash, and a no-trade clause. That’s the first time in franchise historical past that Philadelphia has signed a participant to a take care of a no-trade clause:

How did Hurts make the leap from query mark to franchise cornerstone?

It begins contained in the pocket.

Maybe the most important enchancment to Hurts’ sport final season got here inside the confines of the pocket.

Whereas Hurts took a step ahead throughout 2021, one of many lingering questions that remained was how he dealt with life contained in the pocket. As an athletic quarterback, Hurts struggled with balancing his athleticism and talent to create along with his legs, with the necessity to generally keep contained in the pocket and make a throw beneath stress.

However all the way in which again in Week 1, within the Eagles’ win over the Detroit Lions, the indicators have been there that Hurts was changing into far more snug inside the confines of the pocket. Take this completion from the third quarter:

This play is an efficient instance of Hurts taking data earlier than the snap, and utilizing it to his benefit because the play unfolds. Previous to the snap, Brown aligns on the left facet of the sphere and is available in movement throughout the formation. With no defender trailing him, that’s an indicator to the quarterback that the Lions may be in zone protection. Whereas this isn’t a assure, as defenses have carried out a terrific job in recent times at disguising their intentions, it is a knowledge level for the QB to decipher earlier than the snap.

Hurts has a number of different zone indicators to work with, primarily the alignments of the cornerbacks. Each defenders are enjoying off their receivers, and have their ft and hips open towards the center of the sphere. Once more, indications that zone protection is at play.

However the job isn’t carried out, as Hurts has to decipher the stress look upfront from Detroit. The Lions have a pair of defenders mugging the A-Gaps, and with seven males down on the road of scrimmage, there’s a likelihood Detroit brings stress and rotates into man protection behind this stress entrance.

The Lions deliver simply 4 and certainly drop into zone protection. However they nonetheless handle to get inside stress on Hurts, due to a learn blitz from the mugged-up defenders. On this play, the 2 mugged-up linebackers begin to blitz and can learn the motion of the middle, Jason Kelce. If the middle turns to 1 facet, that defender will then drop into protection, and the opposite will proceed on his blitz path. Kelce opens to his proper and spots linebacker Chris Board. As soon as he does this, Board drops again into protection and his cohort, Alex Anzalone, continues his blitz. Kelce tries to double-back and assistance on Anzalone, and working again Kenneth Gainwell steps up into the A-Hole to tackle the linebacker, however Anzalone nonetheless manages to get into the pocket.

But Hurts hangs within the pocket, and understanding that Brown is working an out route, he makes an anticipation throw towards the gentle protection to transform the third down.

That is the sort of second Eagles followers have been hoping to see this season from Hurts. At occasions final yr, these have been the performs the place Hurts would pull the soccer down in response to stress and look to create along with his legs, somewhat than make a throw from the pocket. Hurts’ athleticism is a real weapon, and he delivered some athletic moments on Sunday in Detroit, however right here he takes benefit of the knowledge gained presnap and makes a learn and throw from the pocket, transferring the chains.

Philadelphia would end the drive with a landing.

Or take this play towards the Houston Texans from Week 9:

The Eagles run a vertical idea right here off of play-action, with Brown attacking downfield on the left facet of the formation and DeVonta Smith working the deep crossing route from right-to-left. Houston brings stress, and linebacker Christian Kirksey has a free run on the quarterback. However Hurts hangs within the pocket within the face of this free stress — understanding that it’s coming — and hits Smith working throughout the sphere for an enormous achieve.

We even noticed examples of Hurts delivering from a collapsing pocket — somewhat than bailing from it — within the playoffs. In Philadelphia’s win over the New York Giants, Hurts and Smith related on a landing early within the second quarter on a throw alongside the best facet of the sphere. Whereas sure, the protection took a poor angle, you additionally need to credit score the QB for hanging within the pocket because it collapsed round him, giving this play an opportunity to develop:

We noticed different examples of Hurts balancing that “battle or flight” intuition within the pocket throughout the 2022 marketing campaign. Take this play towards the Washington Commanders in Week 10:

Hurts opens as much as the left facet of the formation, to learn out a two-receiver idea. However with these choices coated, he will get his eyes to the center of the sphere, selecting up Quez Watkins on the bottom dig route. As that is taking place, the Commanders are blitzing each linebackers and he has some free runners in his face.

Whereas the Hurts of 2020, and even early 2021, may need pulled this down and appeared for an escape route, this yr’s model of the passer hung within the pocket, acquired to his third choice on the idea, and made a throw to maneuver the chains on third down.

That is high-level quarterback play.

However maybe my favourite instance of Hurts pushing apart the demons of the previous and studying to battle within the pocket got here from early in Week 2. Towards the Minnesota Vikings, the Eagles face an early third-down scenario. Dealing with third and 13, watch as Hurts fights the urge to drag the ball down and escape to the left — the place there’s numerous inexperienced grass — and as a substitute hangs within the pocket, giving Brown’s deep curl route time to develop:

The Hurts of 2020 or 2021 most likely pulls this down.

The Hurts of 2022, nevertheless, makes a a lot totally different determination.

There are, in fact, different explanation why the Eagles made the choice to ink Hurts to a long-term deal. Successful actually helps, and with the Eagles holding but two extra first-round alternatives within the 2023 NFL Draft, there’s each expectation that Philadelphia will make one other deep playoff run in 2023.

Then there’s the athleticism Hurts brings to the desk. In as we speak’s NFL, with defenses counting on two-high security appears and light-weight containers up entrance, the power of the quarterback to be a dynamic pressure within the working sport is a large asset for an NFL offense. Take this run from Hurts towards the Inexperienced Bay Packers:

The play begins with Inexperienced Bay aligned with two deep safeties, and simply 5 defenders within the field. With the tight finish aligned in-line subsequent to the left sort out, the Eagles are +1 within the field, at the least by way of our bodies.

However watch how rapidly +1 for the offense turns into +2 — or extra — once you contain the QB as a run menace. The Eagles run GT Counter Bash, pulling the bottom guard and sort out in entrance of Hurts. Hurts can provide the soccer to the working again aiming for the best facet, however when he sees that defensive finish keep residence, he pulls the soccer and retains it, following the two-man convoy to the left facet.

The guard picks up the playside defensive finish, the sort out climbs to one of many deep safeties, and the Eagles have an enormous achieve within the working sport.

Hurts’ presence — and talent — as a menace within the working sport is a large plus for the Philadelphia offense.

There’s additionally a management issue. Quarterback is without doubt one of the final “management” positions in sports activities, and having somebody who can encourage the opposite ten gamers within the huddle — and even the remainder of the roster — is a large increase for a staff. That is one thing each head coach Nick Sirianni and proprietor Jeffrey Lurie talked about throughout the playoffs and the offseason:

However it’s his progress as a passer, notably from the pocket, that led to as we speak, with him changing into the highest-paid participant in NFL historical past.

Now in the event you’ll excuse me, I’m off to drag my son and daughter out of college for the day. They should work on their pocket footwork.