For Alshon Jeffery, decision to stay in Philly wasn't hard

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SEATTLE — Even after Sunday's crushing loss to the Seahawks, there was one way to squeeze the tiniest little smile out of Alshon Jeffery. 

Ask him about the next four years. 

The day before the 24-10 loss to the Seahawks, Jeffery signed a four-year, $52 million contract extension that will keep him with the Eagles through the 2021 season. 

"Trying to build something special, trying to start something special, the culture here," Jeffery said late Sunday night, speaking publicly for the first time since signing the new deal. "I feel like I'm blessed to be a part of the Philadelphia Eagles. ... Everybody welcomed me with open arms."

Jeffery, 27, signed a one-year contract to join the Eagles in March but found out pretty early on that he wanted to sign a long-term deal to stay in Philly. He wanted it bad enough that he gave up his chance to hit the open market again this offseason. 

When did he know he wanted to be in Philly for a long time? 

"I think the first day I came here," Jeffery said. "The chemistry, just being one of the guys in the locker room. No matter what goes on, on the field, it's our locker room. We're tight. We're more like family."

Part of that family is franchise quarterback Carson Wentz, who has been playing at an MVP level for most of the 2017 season. Wentz is just 24, so the idea of being able to grow with a young quarterback probably played a huge role in Jeffery's wanting to re-sign. 
 
"The sky's the limit for Carson," Jeffery said. "The sky's the limit for this team. We've got to keep building. Right now, we're just focused on LA." 

After a few questions about his contract, Jeffery didn't want to talk about it anymore. Showing the same selflessness he has all season, he didn't really care on Sunday night about his new deal. The Eagles had just lost by 14 points to a team they thought they should have beaten. 

Jeffery said he thought the Eagles beat themselves and it was "something that we probably needed." 

The day after signing the extension, Jeffery didn't have a great game against Seattle. He finished with four catches for 61 yards and failed to catch a touchdown pass for the first time since Oct. 23. All of Jeffery's four catches came in the second half. He didn't have a single target in the first two quarters. 

So Jeffery was happy to answer a few questions about his contract but wanted the focus off of himself. He wanted the focus on the Los Angeles Rams. Jeffery's Eagles play them in less than a week at the Coliseum. 

"I appreciate everything that's been going on behind the scenes with the contract, but we're just focused on LA," Jeffery said. "The contract situation is what it is. We can talk more about that during the week, but right now I'm just focused on LA, man." 

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