What Does DeVonta Smith’s $75 Million Extension Mean For The Eagles?

The Philadelphia Eagles have signed receiver DeVonta Smith to a three-year $75 million extension. On his rookie contract, Smith only made about $5 million a year, but that will now rise to $25 million annually as he becomes tied for the fourth-highest-paid receiver in the league. The deal comes before the 2024 NFL Draft, but with Smith staying with the team, the Eagles have locked down their offensive skill positions until at least 2026.

“The journey is not over. It’s just starting,” Smith said in a statement on the Eagles official website.

Smith has played extremely consistently in his three years with the Eagles after being drafted 10th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft from Alabama. Over those past years, Smith has only missed one regular-season game, averaging 80 receptions, 8.3 receiving touchdowns and 1,059 yards per season in that span. His 3,178 total career yards are the 17th most in the league over the past three years.

Smith now sits alongside teammate A.J. Brown as the fourth-highest-paid player at their position coming into the 2024 NFL season. Brown signed a four-year $100 million extension with Philadelphia in 2022, which matches the annual salary of Smith with his most recent contract.

Unlike Smith, Brown has seen more attention since joining the team, with 3,821 yards, 257 receptions and 33 touchdowns. Smith and Brown are the only duo of players on the same team who have been near the top of the receiving charts over the past few years, and both are under contract with the Eagles for at least the next three years.

“Everybody wants to spin it this way, in that way, but you have two guys who want to be the alpha. And I feel like that’s a good thing. You got two guys that are happy for each other,” Smith said. “I mean, A.J., we talk every day. We call each other every day. We make sure that we talk on the phone daily, whether it’s football or life.”

Smith’s contract extension means he gets to stay with a team featuring quarterback Jalen Hurts, tight end Dallas Goedert, Brown, and new addition Saquon Barkley at running back. Philadelphia had a strong run to the Super Bowl in 2022 but finished the 2023 season on a disappointing 1-5 stretch and lost in the divisional round of the playoffs. Last year, the team was seventh in yards per game and points per game, and with bringing back all of their stars and adding a few new ones, the Eagles and their offensive firepower will look to bounce back after their disappointing 2023 run.

“You can always get better,” Smith said about himself and his team. “There’s no such thing as you’ve reached your peak. You’re gonna continue to get better. You can always get better.”

Article by Eli Gregorski