Eagles' Nick Sirianni on Jalen Hurts Contract: 'We Didn't Pay Him More to Do Less'

With more money comes higher expectations for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, especially from head coach Nick Sirianni.

Even with Hurts' new five-year, $255 million extension, don't expect the Eagles coaching staff to change the way it utilizes its young signal-caller.

"We didn't pay him more to do less," Sirianni said Thursday. "We still think about how to protect him because that's our job to protect our quarterback. But Jalen does a lot of things really well and we want to utilize the skills that he has."

Hurts, 24, got his handsome payday following a breakout season in which he was an MVP contender and helped lead Philadelphia to an appearance in Super Bowl LVII. He came up just short as Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs outdueled him.

He was also named to his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro team in 2022.

With one of the NFL's best offensive lines, the Eagles have done a great job of keeping Hurts upright and healthy. It's when he gets out of the pocket that things can get a bit concerning for the $255 million man.

He was one of the most effective runners at the quarterback position last season, rushing for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 4.6 yards per carry. But that playing style does come with risks, and he felt that toward the end of the regular season when he injured his throwing shoulder against the Chicago Bears on Dec. 18.

The injury forced him to miss Philadelphia's next two games and seemed to affect him a bit in the playoffs, as he wasn't quite as sharp as before.

So, while it'll be up to Sirianni and the coaching staff to continue to find ways to protect the third-year superstar in the pocket, it'll be up to Hurts to take care of himself once he takes off running.

It may not hurt to slide a second or two earlier—Eagles fans, coaches and certainly the team's front office will appreciate it.