How Jordan Mailata went from construction site to Super Bowl history – and potentially $300m in earnings
He’s the first Australian to play in two Super Bowls – and could become the first to start in a Super Bowl victory. And that’s just the start. Because Jordan Mailata is set to become Australian sport’s $300m man.
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There may be rightful amazement about Jordan Mailata’s $100 million contract and how he’s become the first Australian to feature in two Super Bowls, but the startling reality is that this may just be the start.
The 27-year-old is a playing and marketing phenomenon, so unique that his value is only set to skyrocket when his deal with Philadelphia Eagles expires in 2028, and would put him in the rare air of athlete to potentially earn beyond $300 million throughout their career.
Mailata has sponsorship deals with major brands including Ford, First Trust Bank and Johnny Bigg, but his international appeal is set to lure him several more deals across the globe in coming years.
Sports marketing expert and NFL’s Australian liaison Tristan Hay believes Mailata’s value on and off the field will continue to increase.
“Jordan has such a big presence, he stands out physically but also connects culturally in a market that is dominated by athletes and influencers,” Hay said.
“He is charismatic and reflects that easygoing Aussie attitude that the US loves. Most important of all, his career is on an upwards trajectory.
“He is still relatively new to the sport and continues to get better and better each season. He is definitely an athlete that I think can really make an impact both here and the US.”
The former choirboy competed in The Masked Singer in 2022.
His bright personality, ease with media and charity work have made him a fan favourite.
He was used by the NRL to promote their Las Vegas season opener last year, introducing The Rock to the spectacle, and he will be heavily used in the NFL’s coming games in Australia from next year.
Mailata has just had the best season of career, which could be capped off by a historic Super Bowl victory.
Jesse Williams became the only Australian to win a Super Bowl ring when Seattle Seahawks won the 2013 crown, however the defensive tackle did not play in the game.
Mailata would be the only Aussie to start in a Super Bowl victory if his Philadelphia Eagles prevail over Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans on Monday (10.30am AEDT).
He signed a $100 million, three-year extension with the Eagles last year.
By the time that deal is up, he will be 31.
Mailata’s predecessor and former teammate Jason Kelce retired at 36, and many believed he was still able to compete for another season or two.
Mailata has taken the Eagles to two Super Bowls, and is now considered by many to be the best left tackle in the league.
Barring injury, he will be one of the most sought after players in the competition when his contract expires, so he can expect a rise in his enormous salary.
Mailata was described by his offensive line coach, Jeff Stoutland, in the highest terms.
“Let me just say this to you, Jordan Mailata is maybe the most unbelievable story in the history of the NFL,” Stoutland told ESPN Australia in New Orleans.
“From where he came from, for the amount that he knew about football to where he is today, it’s incredible.
“He is a great leader, he is a great player, he understands the game.”
It is quite an astonishing rise for a guy who grew up in Condell Park, once worked on demolition sites, played rugby league for the Bankstown Bulls and had never touched a gridiron ball until eight years ago.
He was taken as pick No.233 in the 2018 draft by the Eagles on potential alone.
Standing 203cm and weighing 168kg, Mailata dwarfs any room he walks into.
That frame makes him ideal for being the brick wall required as a left tackle – the primary job being to protect the quarterback, Eagles ace Jalen Hurts.
But size alone does not translate to success.
Understanding the finer arts of American football, and particularly the tricky offensive line positions where moving half a second too quickly, or putting a hand one centimetre too high, can cost your team penalties, is the difference between back to the construction site or multimillion dollar contracts.
Stoutland has a case for Mailata being the most unbelievable story in the history of the sport.
He has competed against and outplayed opponents who have grown up playing American football their entire lives, watched it as children, talked about it endlessly with their families and friends, gone through high school and university programs and had personalised coaching the whole way through.
Then here comes a hulking Samoan Aussie who only dreamt of playing in the NRL and didn’t know the difference between a slant play and a corner blitz, who has transformed himself into one of the smartest operators in the NFL.
A detailed study by The Athletic this week dissected Mailata’s statistics this season, describing him as the best left tackle in the game.
The report states: “Mailata allowed a career-low one sack, 14 pressures and zero QB hits, and allowed only nine pressures in true pass sets. PFF (Pro Football Focus, a sports analysis company) graded him the best offensive lineman in the NFL, first among tackles in run blocking and second in pass blocking.”
It’s difficult for the Australian sports psyche to grasp how a footballer who doesn’t touch the ball can be so valuable.
But these stats here are enough to make most American men weep with joy.
No football team can win if their quarterback can’t make precise throws.
The job of the defensive line is to get around guys like Mailata and pressure or tackle the quarterback, forcing errant throws, fumbles or lost yardage.
Mailata has also been essential in run-blocking for Eagles superstar running back Saquon Barkley, who aside from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, will be the most influential man on the field in Super Bowl LIX.
“Sunday is just the next game, I don’t go chasing waterfalls,” Mailata said.
“I am just in the moment. I don’t make it too big – I like to have fun, while still being serious at the same time.
“I am just representing and doing the best job I can, it is an honour to represent the Polynesian people.
“I don’t just represent Australia, but married to my wife (Niki, who is of Tongan heritage), I feel obliged that I have a responsibility to every other Polynesian nation.
“It’s not just a small cluster of islands in the South Pacific – so to have that representation in one of the biggest nations in the world, is a total honour.”
Originally published as How Jordan Mailata went from construction site to Super Bowl history – and potentially $300m in earnings
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