After receiving his money, DeVonta Smith is not planning on leaving anytime soon.
With this move, the Eagles have guaranteed a contract extension for their developing wide receiver that extends until 2028.
The Eagles announced on Monday morning that they had selected Smith’s rookie contract’s fifth-year option and had reached an agreement to extend his deal for three more years, through the 2028 campaign.
Smith will therefore be eligible to play in 2025 under the fifth-year option. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Smith has a three-year contract for $75 million that includes $51 million in guaranteed money for 2026, 2027, and 2028.
For Smith, the money involved is substantial, and he appeared unconcerned about the completion of the agreement.
Regarding his contractual status, Smith stated in February that he would “let the chips fall where they fall.” “When the moment
arrives, it arrives. I’m not really thinking about it. I’m simply going to let it go because it will arrive.
The three-year extension’s yearly average of $25 million is the same as A.J. Brown’s four-year, $100 million contract, which he signed following his trade to the Eagles in 2022.
The Eagles currently boast two of the top five highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL in terms of average parity. Only three players have greater APYs than Brown and Smith: Tyreek Hill ($30M), Davante Adams ($28M), and Cooper Kupp ($26.7M). It is noteworthy that the Eagles completed this agreement prior to the market being reset by significant extensions for Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb.
In 2023, Smith’s rookie contract came to an end, and he was eligible for a contract extension. He will play on the fifth-year option in 2025 and will go into the last year of that rookie contract in 2024. OverTheCap projects that option year’s value to be $15.591 million. Thus, this turns out to be a $91 million, four-year contract.
Eagles didn’t have to
complete this extension as soon as possible, but their top priority is always concluding agreements with their players as soon as possible. Furthermore, they never want Smith to leave the building because he is the kind of indispensable player.
During the summer combine, general manager Howie Roseman stated, “DeVonta is an incredible person, incredible player, obviously homegrown, young guy.” “Without getting into specifics, those are guys you don’t really want to leave.”
Smith, 25, was selected by the Eagles with the 10th overall choice in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Alabama. During his first three years of play, Smith has lived up to the team’s expectations.
Smith now has 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns from 240 receptions in his first three seasons as a wide receiver. Even though he was playing next to a Pro Bowler like
Brown, Smith has accomplished more than 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons.
Smith had 1,066 receiving yards in 2023, which placed him 20th in the NFL, but many believe he can improve. Smith believes there is still more to come.
He responded, “Yeah,” in February. You’ve occasionally witnessed it. That really simply boils down to getting the ball in space, though. That is all there is to it.
With Kellen Moore joining the team as offensive coordinator, the Eagles offense will appear different in 2024. Smith is probably going to be among the players who gains the most from that adjustment.
Following a busy offseason, the Eagles now have five players signed through 2028: Landon Dickerson, Jake, Jalen Hurts Smith, Elliott, and Jordan Mailata. This offseason, extensions were granted to those final four.
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