Going first has advantages. By agreeing to his new five-year, $255 million contract extension right before the start of their offseason program, Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles have capped the number of questions about when and whether the deal would get done at zero. No distractions. No animosity. No dragging it out.
Could Hurts have secured more money or more guarantees by waiting until one or more of Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson did their deals? Almost assuredly yes. But getting it done and out of the way fits with what we know about Hurts. He's all about the work. If he told his agent to get it done before the start of the offseason program, it's likely because (A) the deal was plenty sweet as it was and (B) he didn't want it hanging over his and his team's effort to get back to the Super Bowl. It's a win-win. The Eagles get their biggest piece of offseason business out of the way early, and Hurts can call himself the highest-paid player in the NFL -- at least for a few weeks or months.
Because more quarterback deals are likely coming this offseason. Hurts' 2020 draft-mates Burrow, Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa are all extension-eligible for the first time. Jackson is still looking for a long-term extension with the Ravens -- or somebody. Dak Prescott is in line for an extension with the Cowboys. At some point, the Chiefs are probably going to rework Patrick Mahomes' deal so he's making more than any of these guys. (And who could blame them?)
So, since one of the big questions every time a deal like this gets done is how it will affect the similar deals to come, let's take a look at a couple of those.
