A week after signing Jordan Mailata to a lucrative contract extension, the Philadelphia Eagles are working toward locking up another in-house standout, according to ESPN, with wide receiver DeVonta Smith on track to land a long-term deal of his own.
Smith, 25, is currently under contract through 2024, and the Eagles can exercise his fifth-year option for 2025 by May 2, but the two sides have kicked off behind-the-scenes talks on a new deal, per Tim McManus, with “general optimism” that an extension “will materialize in the near future.” There is no “imminent deadline” in the discussions, but as McManus notes, the Eagles have historically aimed to secure homegrown talent as soon as possible.
Smith, meanwhile, has proven reliable in three seasons as a starting wideout in Philadelphia. Drafted 10th overall out of Alabama in 2021, the slender fan favorite led the Eagles with 64 catches for 916 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. He approached 1,200 yards the following year opposite All-Pro addition A.J. Brown, helping lead Philly to a Super Bowl appearance. He then eclipsed 1,000 yards for a second straight season in 2023, also matching a career high with seven scores.
Smith is due $6.4 million in 2024, the final year of his rookie deal. The fifth-year option would guarantee an estimated $15.5 million in 2025, per Over the Cap. A long-term extension could approach $25 million per year, per ESPN, the same per-year total the Eagles committed to Brown upon acquiring him via trade in 2022. Only three other wideouts currently exceed that average annual mark: the Miami Dolphins‘ Tyreek Hill, Las Vegas Raiders‘ Davante Adams and Los Angeles Rams‘ Cooper Kupp.
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Author: Cody Benjamin
April 10, 2024 | 3:50 pm