Former Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts agreed to a new contract this week with the Philadelphia Eagles that will pay him $255 million through 2028, including more than $179 million in guaranteed money.

At $51 million per season, Hurts becomes the highest-paid player in NFL history, a distinction that can change hands multiple times per year as the league’s stars sign new deals.

Hurts led the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII this past season, four years after leading Alabama to an SEC championship game win over Georgia in 2018. On Wednesday, Tide coach Nick Saban reacted to Hurts’ landmark contract during an appearance on The Next Round.

“We’re happy for Jalen, his family. He’s been rewarded for just what you said,” Saban said. “You couldn’t find a better guy. Can’t find a better leader. Can’t find a more determined, hard-working guy that’s got great sense of purpose. Not only understands what he wants to do, but he has a willingness to do all the things that needed to do to develop and get it done.

“My hat’s off to him. They had a great year, the Eagles this year, and he had a great year. We’re just happy that the organization recognized the fact that he’s going to be their quarterback for a long time.”

Earlier this offseason, Saban used Hurts as an example to his current team when it began the “Fourth Quarter” strength and conditioning program in February. Days before Hurts played in the Super Bowl, Saban showed his players a video of Hurts wearing his Fourth Quarter T-shirt to an Eagles press conference in 2021.

More broadly, Saban has used Alabama’s recent run of success at quarterback to positively impact recruiting at the position. Hurts was a second-round pick of the Eagles in 2020, taken one round after Tua Tagovailoa was a first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins. The next year, Mac Jones became a first-round pick of the New England Patriots.

Looking forward, the Tide has a verbal commitment from Julian Sayin, a five-star quarterback rated second-best in the 2024 high school class by 247 Sports’ composite.

“I don’t think there’s any question about the fact that the last three quarterbacks we’ve had at Alabama are all starters in the league, including Jalen, and Bryce may be the first guy picked in the draft,” Saban said. “I think all those things are selling points to guys that want to have a career and develop a career really at any position, but especially the quarterback position.

“It speaks volumes of the sort of offense that we’ve had that is quarterback friendly, and the receivers that we’ve also had that have been very successful as well.”

Young became the betting favorite last week to be the No. 1 overall pick in next Thursday’s NFL draft, and his betting odds to be picked over Ohio State’s CJ Stroud continue to shorten. Young would become Alabama’s first No. 1 pick since Harry Gilmer in 1948.

“We’re excited for Bryce,” Saban said. “We’re certainly hopeful that everything works out for him. I don’t think there’s any question about the fact that most people agree that he was the most productive guy in the draft at that position. But they take size and all that kind of stuff into consideration. So hopefully.

“It’s not where you get picked in the draft, though, it’s what kind of career you have. He’s the kind of guy that whatever happens in this, he’s going to be very dedicated to being the best player he can be.”

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.