Eagles' DeVonta Smith Talks WR Contracts: 'Can't Be Counting the Pockets of Others'

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith isn't overly concerned with the fact his three-year, $75 million extension now looks much different in the current market.

"You can't be counting the pockets of others," he told reporters Tuesday. "I'm where I want to be. This is where I want to be. At the end of the day, it was still life-changing for me. Those guys who get those deals, they deserve it. Great players, great people. At the end of the day, we're all blessed."

At the time he signed the deal, Smith seemingly made a great decision. A $25 million average salary is a healthy number for a player who hasn't yet made the Pro Bowl and was the No. 2 receiver on his own team the last two years.

However, the 2021 first-round pick almost certainly would've made more money if he had waited on a new contract.

Eagles teammate A.J. Brown was briefly the highest-paid wideout in the NFL after with a $32 million average salary, and that title now belongs to the Minnesota Vikings' Justin Jefferson after he signed for $140 million over four years. Even Jaylen Waddle, whose situation isn't that much different from that of Smith, got a contract from the Miami Dolphins that pays him $28.3 million per year.

With the receiver market booming, there's little need to rush into anything at the bargaining table.

But NFL players are broadly incentivized to take the sure thing because of how physically taxing their careers are. As Smith alluded to, the $51 million guaranteed he earned still represents generational wealth as well.

The relatively short duration of the pact means he should have another opportunity to cash out down the road, too.

Smith will be 29 when he enters the final year, when he'll have plenty of leverage to demand another long-term agreement. At worse, he'll be hitting free agency when he's 30. Davante Adams was entering his age-30 season when he got his record-setting deal from the Las Vegas Raiders.

If he can take his game to another level over the next few years, Smith might have an opportunity down the line to set a new precedent for his fellow receivers.