The Philadelphia Eagles sign left-back Jordan Mailata for a four-year, $ 64 million extension, Mailata agents confirmed to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Saturday.
The deal, which spans the 2025 season, could be worth $ 80 million and includes $ 40.85 million guaranteed, agents Jeff Nalley and Graylan Crain told ESPN.
It was completed Saturday, just before the team left its facilities to fly to Atlanta for the season opener against the Falcons.
“I’m excited to be here four more years, representing this team and this city,” Mailata said in a video posted to Twitter by the Eagles. “I can’t wait to continue representing my family and everything I have in me. Give it to you to get this championship here. Remember, Go Birds, baby!”
Mailata’s rise has not been at all remarkable. A former Australian rugby player, he had no previous football experience and could barely name an NFL team when he arrived at IMG Academy to train in January 2018 as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program.
Standing 6 feet eight and 346 pounds, his sporting gifts were obvious, but he didn’t even know how to put on or take off a helmet, let alone capture the complexity of a professional offense.
He was selected by the Eagles in the seventh round (233rd overall) of the 2018 draft.
Mailata, 24, did not play his first two seasons in the NFL, but showed remarkable improvement under the tutelage of offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. He started 10 games last season as the Eagles ’offensive front was hit hard by injuries and proved good.
He competed this summer in a competition for the top left-back position with former first-round delegate Andre Dillard, who was hampered by multiple injuries. Mailata became the clear favorite to win the job as the weeks went by.