National Football League

Following Super Bowl run, can Eagles keep all their stars happy?

Published Aug. 2, 2023 4:33 p.m. ET

The Philadelphia Eagles have obviously figured out the secret of success, but there's a secret that comes after it, too. Once a team has tasted it, everyone wants a piece of the credit. And everyone wants a little more of the rewards.

So it shouldn't be surprising that after an offseason in which the Eagles made Jalen Hurts a $255 million quarterback and threw more money at Jason Kelce, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, James Bradberry, Darius Slay and more, there's at least one other player waiting in the money line. Never mind that Haason Reddick is in the second year of a three-year, $45 million contract.

After what he did last season, after what he helped the defense and the team do, he feels like he should reap more of the rewards too.

"You all see it, you all know what's going on," Reddick said when asked on Tuesday if he felt underpaid. "I'm just worried about being the best version of myself. And I'll let everything else sort itself out, truly."

That's actually a pretty mature answer. He's not demanding anything. He's not causing a distraction. He's not saying the Eagles have done anything wrong.

But he's acknowledging something that most big-money players realize quickly in this era of escalating salaries. Contacts that look huge when they're signed become obsolete very quickly. The ink is hardly dry on the deal Reddick signed 16 months ago, but his average of $15 million per year now ranks him 15th among edge rushers. The man at the top of the list, T.J. Watt, makes nearly double that — an average of about $28 million per year.

Considering what Reddick did for the Eagles last season, it's hard to argue his contract equates to his value. He had 16 sacks last season, plus 3.5 more in the playoffs. He was the spark to a historic pass rush that recorded 70 sacks in the regular season — tied for third-most in a single season in the history of the league.

Some actually thought the Eagles overpaid for him when they signed Reddick in March 2022. But after recording 39.5 sacks and 13 forced over the last three seasons (for three different teams) he has clearly established himself as one of the best pass-rushers in the league — even if not enough people acknowledge that, as far as he's concerned.

"Man, I'm done talking like I have anything to prove to anybody," Reddick said. "I've put enough work out there, enough film out there, that my play now speaks for itself. People can make their opinions off of that. I don't feel like I have to show anybody anything. I've done that all. I'm at a point now where I'm done talking like I have anything to prove to anybody."

Chiefs, Bengals & Eagles sit atop Nick's NFL Tiers

He really doesn't. But in business where respect almost always equals money, how much longer is Reddick going to be ok with sliding down the salary charts? Right now he swears it's not an issue, nor does he intend to make it one. He's a Philadelphia native who wants to be remembered as a Philadelphia "legend" — and he really is already on his way.

But what happens this offseason, when he's heading into the final year (and final $14.75 million) on his contract, and he's surely to fall even further down the list of top-paid edge rushers. If he feels underpaid now, how will he feel after another double-digit sack season, especially if it powers another Super Bowl run?

And he very likely won't be the only one lining up at the vault of Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie. They already lost out on safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson last offseason because they couldn't (or wouldn't) meet his salary demands, and they had to sweeten the pot for cornerback Darius Slay to get him to sign a more salary cap-friendly contract. And there are plenty of other Eagles whose contracts suddenly look small.

Like defensive end Josh Sweat, who had 11 sacks last season and is in the second year of a three-year, $40 million extension that ranks him 22nd amongst edge rushers. Or DeVonta Smith, who still has two years left on his rookie contract (assuming the Eagles pick up his fifth-year option), but surely knows his production warrants a new, blockbuster deal. Or how about left tackle Jordan Mailata, who is only in Year 2 of a four-year, $64 million extension, but is now just the 12th highest-paid left tackle in a market that has grown exponentially in recent years.

Expect Eagles to avoid Super Bowl hangover?

General manager Howie Roseman has done a masterful job of locking up his young, talented players, making sure the Eagles are in a strong position with their nucleus at least for the next few years. But when those players perform up to and beyond expectations, and the franchise thrives because of it, even Roseman can't prevent those players from looking around at how much others are paid and believing they deserve more.

How he'll navigate those spoils of success remains to be seen. Reddick may turn out to be the test case. He believes he is one of the best edge rushers in the NFL, and he wants people to know that.

"I've shown it," he said. "I'm one of the most elite, one of the best at what I do — top 5. When you talk about Haason Reddick, if I'm not in that category, now I've got to question: Do you really know football?"

Obviously, he thinks he should be paid like a top-5 edge rusher too, but he made it clear on Tuesday that he's not ready to make waves about it — at least not yet.

"I'm going to keep coming out, keep working, man," Reddick said. "Those types of things have a way of sorting themselves out."

Sometimes they do. But the more success the Eagles have over the next season or two, the more players they'll have lining up to see if that's really true.

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.

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