Former Steelers player thinks Jalen Hurts' contract benefits Lamar Jackson

The Pittsburgh Steelers, the AFC North and the rest of the NFL have all been waiting to see what will happen with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and his contract situation.

Jackson and the Ravens have been haggling over his contract without reaching an agreement. Now news has broken that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is the highest-paid NFL player of all time. His new contract extension is for an astonishing $255 million over five years. 

Does Hurts' new contract help or hinder Jackson in his process in Baltimore? According to former Steelers linebacker, Arthur Moats, the Hurts deal actually helps Jackson. On his podcast, The Arthur Moats Experience, he discusses Hurts' new contract and what it means for Jackson.

"He's not pi---d, he's excited. All they did was help Lamar's situation because you can't make a case that Jalen Hurts has done more, accomplished more, is more deserving to get $51 million a year than Lamar. If you're Lamar, you're like, 'Bro thank you' because now everybody that's been telling Lamar, 'Hey you need to be the one to take less to let the market correct itself' not when Jalen Hurts is getting $51 mil a year. Nah, now we gotta run that number up. I don't think of it as a negative, I think of it as a positive for him."

"Shout out to Jalen Hurts and his agent though because that's the purpose of the agent, you want to get as much as you can, and in some cases, the agent will get you more than you probably deserve at that particular time."

Jackson has taken some heat from outsiders for not using an agent. There are many who feel that this has hurt his ability to get a larger contract. Moats has said that he sees both perspectives, but he feels that Jackson has done enough in his career that he doesn't necessarily need the agent to prove his value.

"If you're a guy like Lamar who already has individual accolades and accomplishments, I think it is only going to help his market out more because at first it was the Kyler Murray convo and people would say, 'Oh it's just Kyler Murray.' We said with Deshaun Watson, 'That was an outlier, you can't really control that.' Now it's Philly, what are we gonna say about this one? The more people that are getting these types of deals, I don't think it hurts, I think it strengthens his argument of I don't have to be the one to take less. I don't have to be the one to allow the market to re-correct itself because clearly, multiple teams in various situations are willing to pay, they are willing to cut those checks." 

Co-host Deke argues that Hurts has been more relevant and productive recently, taking the Eagles to a Super Bowl last season, while Jackson's MVP is several years old and he's been hurt. Moats also points out that there are some key differences between what Hurts got and what Jackson is demanding. 

"I think Lamar has to understand the variables are different. Jalen Hurts wasn't trying to get the most guaranteed money, a fully guaranteed contract and he did have an agent. Agents are going to make it a smoother process, we're not taking that away. Agents are what they are for a reason, but they also get three percent of what you sign for so if you're Lamar, and you're saying to yourself I can get that same deal right now without an agent as my floor, I can get all of that without having to pay that three percent to this agent, but what if I'm able to actually negotiate and get even more, get what I'm truly looking for. I think that's what he's going for, ain't no point in stopping now when there are other people coming along getting checks."  

The argument is often that Jackson has had more success as a quarterback than Murray or Watson. 

"It only strengthens Lamar's standpoint because Jalen Hurts is the good guy, he's the poster boy, he's done everything he's supposed to do. He's been cheap, he came in here and he took them to a Super Bowl, they didn't win, but he had an MVP-caliber season. He was healthy and did all the things that you needed him to do. Has he done it for four years? No, but he gave you enough for you to feel very confident in him. Philly was just smart and said we're gonna pay you now. We're not gonna wait until it gets to the point where it's going to be this contentious thing. Is that because he had an agent? It could very well be. He could go in there today and say, 'Just give me the Jalen Hurts deal' and all of this would be over with, he will be able to do that and not pay three percent to an agent. I think that's a big difference."

What quarterback would you take in the AFC North? Do you think Jackson will work out something with the Ravens? What do you think his new contract will be?