DeVonta Smith: Good to have two receivers that want to be the alpha
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith signed a contract extension this week that ties him to the club through the 2028 season and getting that deal done means the Eagles have found a way to sign a pair of wideouts to long-term deals.
A.J. Brown is signed through 2026 on an extension he reached with the team after being acquired in a trade ahead of the 2022 season and there have been times when it appeared Brown was unhappy about the amount of balls going his way during games. Brown has said any outbursts are connected to his desire to win games and Smith said on Tuesday that having two receivers trying to fill leading roles is a positive rather than a negative for the Eagles offense.
"It means a lot to be able to go out there knowing guys who have similar stories, guys who have the same passion, the dedication that we have to this game, it means a lot to just go out here and be able to continue to do it alongside of him and everyone else in this building," Smith said, via the team's website. "Everybody wants to spin it this way, in that way, but you have two guys who want to be the alpha. And I feel like that's a good thing. You got two guys that are happy for each other. I mean, A.J., we talk every day. We call each other every day. We make sure that we talk on the phone every day, whether it's football, life, last night we had the kids on the phone talking, you know, babies just sitting there doing the baby talk."
Smith's extension kicks in after playing out his fifth-year option in 2025 and it may be difficult for the Eagles to keep everybody while staying under the salary cap at that point, but the near future should feature plenty of both wideouts in Philadelphia.
