Heading into this offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles prioritized signing both of the team’s top wide receivers to massive contract extensions. Yet, one former Eagles executive believes DeVonta Smith and his agent made a huge mistake.
Former Eagles president Joe Banner isn’t afraid to speak his mind and has offered harsh criticism of the franchise in recent years. Banner recently called out Smith’s agent on social media following the latest wide receiver contract extensions.
Former Eagles President Calls Out DeVonta Smith’s Agent
It was clear heading into this offseason that several young wide receivers were expected to sign massive contract extensions in 2024. As usual, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman got ahead of the market and signed Smith to a new deal on April 15.
While some were initially surprised at how big of a payday Smith received from the Eagles, it is quickly looking like a steal for Philadelphia, exactly why Banner offered some harsh criticism for both Smith and his agent on Monday.
Devonta Smith should fire his agent 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.
— Joe Banner (@JoeBanner13) June 3, 2024
Although Smith’s new deal has him currently listed as the eighth highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL, according to Over The Cap, that clearly isn’t enough to please Banner. He believes Smith and his agent should have held out a bit longer to see what the other wide receivers were paid.
While it’s fair to question if Smith should have waited to sign a contract extension, it’s clear that he values the franchise in Philadelphia. Smith recently spoke about how he believes the Eagles are a top-tier organization and it feels like he’s with family whenever he is at the team’s facility.
Smith wasn’t the only wide receiver to sign a massive contract extension with the Eagles this offseason. A.J. Brown also signed a huge deal, as he was clearly seeking more money but was also willing to sign earlier than expected to remain in Philadelphia.
Banner eventually backpedaled a bit on his comments Monday evening, stating that his initial comments were a bit too harsh. Although one former Eagles executive is upset with Smith’s agent, it sure seems like Smith and other players in the building are happy with their new deals to stay in the City of Brotherly Love long-term.
I think my comments about Devanta’s deal were too harsh. He has good agents but I think they missed on this deal. Waddle and St Brown should not be making 13% more and that’s over 3M per year. All of these players resigned with their own teams and took no additional risks.
— Joe Banner (@JoeBanner13) June 3, 2024
Smith’s Contract Details
Smith signed a three-year contract extension with the Eagles earlier this offseason on April 15. According to multiple reports, Smith’s deal is for three years, $75 million, and $51 million guaranteed.
In terms of average salary per year, Smith is currently slotted as the eighth highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. He currently sits right below Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp and right above Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins.
MORE: Who Are the Highest-Paid Wide Receivers in the NFL in 2024?
The most surprising aspect of Smith’s contract extension with the Eagles is the amount of guaranteed money that he received. While $51 million seems like a ton of guaranteed money to most of us, it’s a “small” number in comparison to what several other wide receivers have received in 2024.
While Justin Jefferson is in a category of his own with $110 million guaranteed, nearly every other wide receiver that has signed a contract extension this offseason surpassed Smith’s total in guaranteed money. Brown received $84 million guaranteed from the Eagles.
Collins fittingly received $52 million guaranteed, allowing him to exceed Smith’s total by $1 million. While Amon-Ra St. Brown received $77 million guaranteed, and Jaylen Waddle received $76 million guaranteed.
Although Smith is likely a tier below players such as Jefferson and Brown, it’s easy to group him in with the other wide receivers who have signed contract extensions this offseason. Therefore, it’s fair to question if Smith and his agent made a mistake as far as guaranteed money goes. Yet, the Eagles and Roseman surely won’t be the ones complaining about it.
