The Philadelphia Eagles today made a big investment in their offensive line, signing LT Jordan Mailata to a three-year contract extension, per Adam Schefter of ESPN:

“This just in: Eagles and LT Jordan Mailata reached agreement on a three-year, $66 million extension that includes $48 million guaranteed and a $20 million signing bonus, per sources. The deal ties Mailata to Philadelphia through the 2028 season. The $22 million per-year average puts him behind only Laremy Tunsil, Trent Williams and Andrew Thomas amongst the NFL’s highest-paid offensive tackles.”

Mailata, who grew up in Australia playing rugby, was previously under contract through 2025.

The Eagles made Mailata a seventh-round pick in 2018. He made his regular-season debut in 2020, making his first start in Week 4. He's served as the team's full-time left tackle for the last three seasons, playing every offensive snap for the team in 2023.

Eagles commit to their offensive line

Despite losing star center Jason Kelce to retirement, the Eagles have committed big money to their offensive line.

Before they signed Mailata on Thursday, Philly extended two-time Pro Bowl selection Landon Dickerson. The deal will carry a base value of $84 million, can be worth up to $87 million, and will pay the guard around $50 million in total guarantees. Dickerson is now the highest-paid player at the position in NFL history.

This massive financial commitment might startle Eagles fans a bit, but with there being questions about the productivity and chemistry of this Philadelphia offense, general manager Howie Roseman is trusting that a reliable offensive line can prevent another implosion from occurring next season. Although there are multiple things that he needs to address on both sides of the ball if this team is truly going to bounce back, this move could be a critical next step in the team's development.

Dickerson, a former national champion with Alabama and the No. 37 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has been a stalwart in the trenches for the last two years. He played over 1,000 snaps in 2023-24, allowing just three sacks and five hits on the season.

One person who is going to be thrilled with the continuity is quarterback Jalen Hurts. Hurts was sacked 35 times in the 2023 season. That's a high number, but as a scrambling quarterback, Hurts is always going to get taken down more than a standard pocket passing QB. Knowing that a pair of key protectors will be locked up for the immediate future has to have him fired up for next season.

Philadelphia cannot be content. Now that the front office has locked up a pair of key Jalen Hurts protectors, it must focus on fixing the defense.

The Eagles defense allowed 25.2 points and 356 yards per game. Both ranked toward the bottom of the NFL defensive rankings last season.