Hayden Hurst made his NFL debut in 2018 as a tight end for the Carolina Panthers. He has since secured contracts worth millions of dollars. Hayden Hurst plays professional baseball. He spent two years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hurst was even offered a $400,000 contract by an MLB club, but he decided baseball wasn’t for him.
Hurst had only completed his junior year of high school at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, before joining the University of South Carolina football team. Hurst’s football career took off at South Carolina when he stood 6’5 and weighed 250 pounds. The Baltimore Ravens drafted him in the first round in 2018.
He agreed to a four-year, $11 million contract. The deal includes a $6 million signing bonus, $8.5 million in guaranteed money, and a $2.7 million yearly salary. Hayden, however, thought he could offer more to another squad after two seasons. Hurst was dealt by the Ravens to the Atlanta Falcons before the draft for one of their two second-round selections.
His deal with the Falcons included a $1.483 million salary cost in 2020, a rookie contract through 2021, and a potential fifth-year option in 2022. However, things did not go well with the Falcons, who did not activate Hurst’s fifth-year option and so declared him a free agent.
Hurst signed a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022. The Bengals offered him a one-year contract for $3.5 million, including a $2 million signing bonus and a $2 million guarantee. Hurst has 52 receptions for 414 yards and two scores with the Bengals.
Though unimpressive, Hurst demonstrated that he could keep the ship afloat. That was sufficient for the Panthers. He agreed to a three-year, $21.75 million deal with David Tepper’s team. The contract guaranteed him $13 million plus a $6.1 million signing bonus.
