The NFL QB Market Grew Again on Monday Morning
Josh Frey
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The quarterback position has been a topic of controversy for the Minnesota Vikings virtually since the dawn of the franchise. Over the past five years, that fire has not been quelled during the tenure of Kirk Cousins, either, with the rumors of Minnesota looking to find his replacement being as loud as ever.
Similarly, as the Vikings may be looking to find their QB of the future, the NFL QB market continues to grow, and on Monday morning, the biggest deal yet went down. That deal involves Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, who just helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance in 2022. During that season, the 2020 second-round pick completed 66.5% of his passes for 3701 yards, 22 TDs, and 6 INTs while the Eagles went 14-1 in games he played.
Hurts signed a new contract extension this week, which was initially reported by ESPN‘s Adam Schefter. It is a record-breaking contract, making the Eagles starting QB the highest paid player in NFL history, worth $255 million over five years, including $179.304 million in guarantees and a no-trade clause.
This contract to one of the Vikings NFC rival QBs only makes the sentiment that Cousins will simply be too expensive to warrant keeping him around even more valid. Hurts essentially got this contract based off one year of solid production, and while Cousins may not be as dynamic as Hurts, he certainly has a track record of being an above-average quarterback throughout his career.
We still have a long ways before the 2024 offseason arrives, but if these sorts of deals continue to be handed out to quarterbacks, we may be entering the twilight of the Cousins era in Minnesota.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.