Eagles agree to terms with Jordan Mailata on a 3-year contract extension (2024)

Considering where he came from – Australia chasing a dream in the United States as a starting point – and then playing exactly zero games and taking zero snaps in his first two seasons with the Eagles as he acclimated his body to the rigors of the NFL, perhaps Jordan Mailata's most significant accomplishment on the way to becoming a Pro Bowl-caliber left tackle is this: He played 1,147 snaps, 100 percent, in the 2023 season at one of the game's most demanding and unyielding positions.

He has come miles since the day in 2018 when the Eagles traded up in the seventh round to select Mailata with the 233rd overall pick in the NFL Draft, and the feeling is that he has even more room to improve, and with that as the backdrop the Eagles announced on Thursday that they've agreed to terms with Mailata on a three-year contract extension through the 2028 season, his third contract with the team.

His remarkable story gets better and better, on the same trajectory as his game.

The 27-year-old Mailata is a dominating force at left tackle, teaming with Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson – his best friend who last month signed his contract extension through 2028 – to give the Eagles the best left side up front in the league. Mailata is an imposing 6-foot-8, 365-pounder who has not changed his mindset one bit since entering the NFL.

"I think I have so much to improve on in my game," he said late in the 2023 campaign. "Everything. Every day I'm working with Stout (Run Game Coordinator/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."

Mailata's rise was a gradual one in the NFL. He didn't play in 2018 or 2019 as he adjusted to a game he had never touched until he decided, at the age of 20, to leave Australia and travel to the United States to chase a dream of playing in the NFL. As he worked on the basics of the game at the IMG Academy in Florida prior to the 2018 NFL Draft, Mailata attracted the attention of Stoutland, who was blown away by Mailata's football and natural athleticism – along with his incredible size. Eagles Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman later traded up late in that draft to select Mailata.

Some patience, a lot of work on the side, and great dedication by everyone involved has brought Mailata to this moment. Now comes the really exciting part: Continuing to develop and push to become an even better player and a more established pillar in the Philadelphia community.

"I think there is about 15 percent that I can improve on and that's what I'm focused on every day," Mailata said. "I'm staying where my feet are. Nothing has changed. 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."

Good thing. That mindset has helped Mailata become one of the best players at one of the most challenging positions in the game and he isn't stopping until every ounce of his sky-is-the-limit ability is realized.