The Philadelphia Eagles have taken the NFL by storm in 2017. Quarterback Carson Wentz is an early favorite for taking home the league MVP in just his second season, and that’s warranted by Philadelphia having the league’s best record. Wentz did not have nearly the same weapons around him last season, as the team finished just 7-9. This year has been much different for the young signal-caller, as he has a plethora of receivers to get the ball to in the passing game, and a stable of running backs to hand it off to. One of Philadelphia’s best receivers has been Alshon Jeffery, who came over on a one-year, $14 million contract in the off-season, courtesy of ESPN .
Jeffery has warranted that payday, as he’s had 43 catches for 619 yards, and is tied for the team-lead with tight end Zach Ertz, with seven receiving touchdowns. He’s had a bounce-back year for the Eagles, as he’s had many clutch catches both outside the numbers and over the middle. Jeffery is a quintessential big-bodied receiver that a quarterback can trust to go get contested jump balls, and he’s done just that and more for Wentz. With Jeffery establishing nice rapport in a short time with the young quarterback, Philadelphia decided to lock him up for the future.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN , the Eagles and Jeffery agreed to a four-year, $52 million contract extension, with another $1 million per season in incentives. In addition, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noted that the deal is worth $27 million guaranteed and could eventually be worth $56 million in total. The production of Jeffery has been a bit surprising, as he’s not had 1,000 receiving yards since 2014, courtesy of Rapoport.
With his 1-year deal this year, Alshon Jeffery will earn about $10M. In his new extension, he gets $27M guaranteed from the #Eagles . That’s a $37M guaranteed commitment, which isn’t bad for a player who hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2014
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 2, 2017
Jeffery’s play outside the numbers has really meshed well with the skill set of Ertz, who has been able to have more room against linebackers and safeties in clear passing situations. Along with that, Nelson Agholor has been able to have a breakout season in the slot with 53 grabs and six touchdowns , courtesy of ESPN NFL Stats .
With Philadelphia having their star wideout locked up for the foreseeable future on the outside, that should solidify their offensive balance for years to come. Combined with strong offensive line play led by center Jason Kelce, and Jay Ajayi, LeGarrette Blount, and rookie Corey Clement in the run game, this Philadelphia Eagles’ offense will be among the NFL’s best for a long time.