Jalen Hurts is the new highest earner in the NFL. He bags more than $51 million a year on average. But what does that mean for the upcoming playmaker market and, more importantly, for 2020-born quarterbacks?

That Jalen Hurts would get a hefty contract extension was a given. Long before he officially signed it now.

That he’s the first quarterback out of the pool of those waiting, however, is a bit surprising. So is the timing. It’s only been a few weeks that negotiations have even been allowed. So the Philadelphia Eagles and Hurts were apparently pretty close pretty quickly.

But what does the deal for more than $51 million annually mean for the free swimmers still in said pool? Namely Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa. Indeed, the situation is different for each of the four aforementioned.

Joe Burrow: The wait can be expensive

2020 Burrow was the first pick in the draft. In the memorable Corona draft process from Commissioner Roger Goodell’s basement, he was the first name read aloud. The Cincinnati Bengals took their franchise quarterback, who is even a native of Ohio and grew up a few hours from Cincinnati.

Burrow and the Bengals, that fits like a glove. Not just because of the backstory, but athletically as well. After suffering a serious knee injury in his first year, “Joey B” led his team to the Super Bowl in his second year. In 2022, they narrowly lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.

Accordingly, Bengals officials were probably less than thrilled when they received a push notification on their smartphones about the Hurts contract. That’s because Burrow and his agent know the Bengals will probably pay them what they ask for, as long as it’s within explainable limits.

And as quickly as possible, if the Bengals have their way. “I don’t know at what pace. But I know we’re going to get something done,” Bengals vice president Katie Blackburn said in that regard.

Looking at Hurt’s contract, they could say, simplistically and bluntly, “We want what he’s getting and a little bit more.” After all, Burrow plays at an even higher level than Hurts. And the longer Cincinnati waits, the greater the risk that other contracts of comparably good players will be signed first

Justin Herbert: Enormous potential … and then?

The second quarterback selected in the 2020 draft was Justin Herbert. He joined the Los Angeles Chargers.

Those Chargers are known for being “pretty good” most of the time, but never really tops. That should change with the former Oregon Duck – but so far it hasn’t. His record in 49 NFL games is 25-24, which just screams average.

However, part of the whole truth is this: of those 49 games, the Chargers would have won far fewer had it not been for Herbert. His arm talent can be seen by anyone who knows the ball is egg-shaped. His sometimes still silly mistakes will subside with experience and focused coaching.

The killer argument from a consultant’s point of view, however, is: what are the Chargers going to do, like look for a new quarterback? Good luck finding someone even similarly talented. However, the Hurts contract also gives them the opportunity to say, “We can’t give you as much as someone who’s already led them to the Super Bowl. “

Tua Tagovailoa: Availability is the best skill

Just one spot behind Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa was drafted. The Miami Dolphins used their pick at number six to bolster themselves with the Hawaiian.

Since then, Tua has been polarizing. Not because of who he is as a person, but because of his performance. While one side sees a good to very good starting quarterback in the NFL, Tua is average at best for the other side. In any case, the numbers speak for themselves: with a passer rating of 105.5 and around 3,500 yards with 25 touchdowns in 13 games, you can’t blame him.

However, here’s the kicker: Tua can’t stay healthy. Already in 2021, he missed three games due to injury. In 2022, including playoffs, it was even four games. Not without reason, the Dolphins illegally tried to replace Tua with 45-year-old Tom Brady after just two seasons. Not exactly a vote of confidence from the front office.

Tua’s adviser is also likely to have significantly less so-called “leverage” in the negotiations. Paying several tens of millions per year for a quarterback who, because of his multiple concussions, doctors say is closer to ending his career than making it to the Super Bowl is unlikely to pay any team. The Dolphins can wait and comfortably pick up the fifth-year option, too.

Lamar Jackson: The posse into the unknown

The theatrics surrounding Lamar Jackson are well known and don’t need to be retold. While the quarterback apparently wants a fully guaranteed contract in the dimensions of Deshaun Watson (230 million, fully guaranteed), the Baltimore Ravens refuse to pay him that amount.

Jackson is the only one from the list who did not come to the league in 2020. He was already selected 32nd overall by the Ravens in 2018. That means an extension would have been possible as early as 2021 – keyword “would have been. “

While Baltimore recently signed Odell Beckham Jr, a player of Jackson’s dreams, that might not have muddied the waters all at once. Back in early March, he called for a trade, which he announced to the media in late March. “The Ravens have no interest in contracting my value,” Jackson tweeted. At the same time, he does not have to demand a trade at all, but can negotiate with whomever he wants as a player under the non-exclusive franchise tag.

That Jackson will come to an agreement with any team in the coming weeks seems almost impossible. Whether he actually sits out this season, as Le’Veon Bell did in 2018, is also up in the air

Jalen Hurts’ contract: What does it mean for the other quarterbacks?

The market for quarterbacks has been exploding for some time now. As recently as 2016, a certain Andrew Luck was the highest-paid playmaker in the league at around $25 million.

Luck was considered a talent who comes into the league once every few years. Meanwhile – with all due respect to him – a player like Daniel Jones gets a contract worth 40 million a year. Logically, rising revenues, rising inflation and rising cap space means rising salaries.

As much money as the league continues to churn out, that’s far from the end of the line either. “It’s great for our position,” Patrick Mahomes said after Hurts’ contract extension. Logically, he, too, likely already has his next contract in mind. As the NFL’s poster boy, that one, once in line, should eclipse everything that’s come before.

And with Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears, the next hopefuls of their respective franchises are already ready to cash in in 2024.