Jordan Mailata’s finally sign a 5-years new contract with Washington Commanders…
Louis Rees-Zammit can look to Jordan Mailata’s journey for inspiration as he tries to make his mark in the NFL.
Mailata, who also came to the NFL through the International Player Pathway Program (IPP), just like Rees-Zammit, has recently signed a three-year, $66 million (£55.25m) contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles. This deal includes a whopping $48 million (£38m) guaranteed and a $20 million (£15.8m) signing bonus, keeping him with the Eagles until 2028.
Despite never having played football at any level before joining the IPP, Mailata was encouraged by league executives to give it a go. His impressive performance at the 2018 combine led the Eagles to draft him in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft, proving that success in the NFL via the IPP is possible.
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Even though Mailata didn’t make his debut until the 2020 season, he started against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4. From the 2021 season onwards, Mailata has been the starting left tackle and was awarded a four-year, $64 million (£50.6m) contract just before the 2021 season kicked off.
Former rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit has the chance to follow in the footsteps of Mailata. Although they play different positions, Rees-Zammit’s size and speed make him a versatile player, which could be an advantage for him whenhttps://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/american-sports/louis-rees-zammit-chiefs-nfl-32458322
The Chiefs have officially signed Rees-Zammit as a running back, but the 23-year-old’s combination of size and speed could see him used in a similar way to San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel, who plays both running back and wide receiver.
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Jordan Mailata’s NFL career has been rewarded (
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
It’s also worth noting that Rees-Zammit will not count towards the 90-man offseason roster limit for training camp, as each team is allowed an extra roster spot for an international player. The Chiefs have shown their faith in Rees-Zammit’s potential by signing him to a three-year contract.
Playing in the NFL has always been Rees-Zammit’s dream, as he explained on the NFL UK YouTube series “The Pathway.”
“I think the first thought of being in the NFL was when I was a young boy, but I knew I had to play rugby for a long time before that,” he explained.
“I’ve played for Gloucester since I was 16 years old – without them, I wouldn’t have done anything in rugby. I’ve played for my country, I’ve gone to a World Cup, I’ve played for The Lions. I’m very grateful for that and just allowing me this opportunity to come to the IPP program and try to live my dream.”
Australian NFL star Jordan Mailata has taken his earnings further into the stratosphere, signing a three-year mega extension set to earn him $100million.
Mailata and the Philadelphia Eagles agreed on the extension that will take him through to the end of the 2028 season with new earnings of $33million a season.
It will be a significant boost to his current $24million-a-season deal that still has two years to run and dwarfs the $13m three-year deal Aussie punter Cameron Johnston recently signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The former South Sydney NRL junior is now the fourth-highest paid left tackle in the NFL, cementing his standing in the competition despite the 27-year-old not yet making the Pro Bowl.
It also caps a stunning ride for Mailata, who didn’t play in a single game in his first two NFL seasons on the Eagles roster, having been taken at pick 233 in the 2018 draft, before starting 10 games in 2020. He then beat out first-round pick Andre Dillard in 2021 to be the Eagles’ starting left tackle.
In the past three seasons, Mailata has started 47 games and was part of the Philadelphia outfit that lost the 2023 Super Bowl.
But as stunning as that immense new deal is, it still doesn’t make him the best-paid Aussie sports star.
According to Forbes’ list of the highest-earning golfers of 2023, Cameron Smith raked in $115million last year – although that was hugely inflated by his lucrative deal with the rebel LIV tour.
NBA star Ben Simmons is due to make $60million with the Brooklyn Nets in the 2024-25 season, according to Spotrac, which tracks player paydays across the major American sports.
However, Mailata has moved in front of F1 star Daniel Ricciardo, who earned $36million with McLaren in 2022 but has taken a pay cut to drive for the RB team this season.
Sydneysider Mailata first excelled at rugby league, catching the eyes of scouts from the Bulldogs NRL side and joined their under-18s program in 2014.
After a health scare took him out of the game for more than 18 months, he ended up playing for South Sydney’s under-20s and reserve-grade sides before his sheer size at 203cm and 142kg made him unsuited to playing the sport at the top level.
He made it into the NFL’s International Pathways Program and took to gridiron so well that he signed an $88million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022 after excelling as their left tackle on the offensive line – one of the most important and difficult positions to play in the sport.
‘I think I have so much to improve on in my game,’ Mailata said late in the 2023 campaign.
‘Every day I’m working with Stout (offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland) and he is pointing out parts of what I’m doing that can be better. I take everything he says seriously.
‘He’s the one who made me what I am today. Whatever he says, I’m going to do.
‘Everything is day to day with me. I love being part of this team and the fans are a huge part of what we do. Nothing is going to change that mindset.’
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