With A.J. Brown gone to New England, DeVonta Smith is no longer sharing the spotlight in Philadelphia. He’s the guy now in the Eagles’ wide receiver room, and that reality is already pushing his contract situation into focus as training camp nears.
Anthony DiBona of the Philly Special with Josh Davis pointed to Smith as a player the Eagles may want to address sooner rather than later. As DiBona wrote, “While many are rightfully focused on Carter’s contract situation, Philadelphia may consider rewarding another key player this offseason.
Following the departure of Brown, DeVonta Smith is expected to step into the WR1 role in 2026 and beyond for the Eagles. Yet according to Over The Cap, Smith ranks just 19th among all wide receivers in average salary per year at $25 million.
"While the wide receiver market continues to explode, Smith has seemingly been left in the dust since he signed his contract extension two years ago. The 27-year-old wide receiver is entering his prime and many expect that he’ll receive the team captain patch again in 2026. Therefore, it would make a ton of sense to reward Smith now before he possibly places his name among the top five wide receivers in the NFL with his performance next season."
That’s the basic case here: if Smith is about to carry more of the passing game, his pay should eventually catch up to that role. He’s coming off a season where he went over 1,000 yards, finishing with 1,008, and his track record gives the Eagles plenty of reason to believe the production can hold or even climb.
Smith’s reliability has been one of his biggest selling points. Over five seasons in Philadelphia, he has missed only four regular-season games, including the 2024 season when a hamstring injury sidelined him. Outside of that, he’s been a steady presence, and his hands and route running have made him one of the most dependable targets on the roster.
The Eagles also have a front office that knows the cost of getting the wide receiver position wrong. After years in which Philadelphia, especially during the Donovan McNabb era, came up short at the position, Howie Roseman has seen firsthand how valuable it is to keep top-end talent in place.
Brown and Smith formed a highly productive pairing for four seasons. Now that Smith stands alone as the alpha in the room, the expectation is that Roseman will eventually act accordingly.
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There is at least some reason for optimism now, with both linemen said to be recovering well as the new season approaches and the Eagles also adding younger help in the draft. ESPNs latest interior line rankings offered a reminder of how much ground there is to make up, though, since neither Dickerson nor Jurgens cracked the top 14 and each only drew some votes. [Read more 🡒]