The Philadelphia Eagles were able to sign wide receiver DeVonta Smith to a contract that by any definition of the word wound up being a team-friendly deal, before the market at the position went parabolic this offseason.
Back on April 15, Smith and the Eagles agreed to a three-year contract worth $75 million to keep him in place opposite A.J. Brown in quarterback Jalen Hurts’ arsenal mere weeks before making Brown the highest-paid wide receiver in the league at the time they agreed to his contract.
However, in the aftermath of Smith’s signing, the Lions signed Amon-Ra St. Brown to a four-year deal worth $120 million, Brown’s contract came in at $96 million over three years, and the Minnesota Vikings made a mammoth commitment to Justin Jefferson worth $140 million over the next four years.
Did DeVonta Smith Leave Money on Table from Philadelphia Eagles
Following Jefferson putting pen to paper on his contract, former Philadelphia Eagles president Joe Banner offered a biting criticism of how Smith handled his talks with the Eagles.
“Devonta Smith should fire his agent,” Banner posted on X. “Unless he overruled the agents advice. He completely misread where market was headed and signed a deal before all these deals reset the market. What was the rush? Another smart deal by Eagles but can only happen if player and agent allow it.
“It’s like people don’t notice when talking about Smith. All these players signed with their own teams and were happy where they were. They all did 3-4 year deals. He just got a bad deal for him, and good for the team.”
As the Eagles rounded out OTAs, Smith needed just eight words to put any concern of his contract or how he handled negotiations to rest.
“You can’t be counting the pockets of others,” Smith told reporters.
It sure sounds like Smith is thrilled with how his talks played out.
Smith enters the 2024 season having caught 240 passes for 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns through his first three seasons, and, the Eagles have insured that the prime years of his career will be played in Philadelphia.
DeVonta Smith on receivers like Justin Jefferson resetting the WR market since he signed his 3 year, $75 million extension in April:
“You can’t be counting the pockets of others.” Says it was life-changing for him regardless. pic.twitter.com/t9tIVs0XK9
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) June 4, 2024
