Few players are as polarizing as Jalen Hurts. There seems to be a wider range of opinions on the Eagles’ franchise quarterback than just about any other player.
The 26-year-old is one of the winningest active players having tallied a 36-18 quarterback record in his 54 games as a starter. He has led the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance, made two Pro Bowls, came second in MVP voting, and third in Offensive Player of the Year voting already in his young career.
However, it is fair to assess concerns surrounding Hurts that his past success cannot fully overshadow. He was front and center for Philadelphia’s historic collapse last season and has regressed notably in his decision-making. Once a player whose calling card was his ability to give his team the best chance to win consistently, Hurts leads all NFL players in turnovers with 26 since the start of the last season.
There has not been anything to suggest the Philadelphia Eagles have any plans to look for a new quarterback. The sporadic level of quarterback play across the NFL and the long-term contract he signed in 2023 makes this even less likely. But it still has been impossible to put a finger on what exactly has changed within the young quarterback.
Jalen Hurts’ Coaching Carousel
The situation you land in plays a huge role in dictating your future. This applies in many sports and situations but is especially true in the NFL.
Look at players like Baker Mayfield who has bounced around before finding his footing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Geno Smith refused to be written off and found a home with the Seahawks. Matthew Stafford had a losing record as a starting quarterback in eight of the 12 seasons he spent with the Lions before going on to win a Super Bowl with the Rams. Sam Darnold seems to be the latest young quarterback to be benefitting from a change in locations as he quietly builds an MVP case with the Vikings.
On the other side of things, Trevor Lawrence’s defenders will be quick to point to problems with his supporting cast and coaching staff for his continued mediocrity. The Bears offensive line has not allowed us to see if Caleb Williams can live up to his lofty bar of expectation and one can’t help but wonder what Bryce Young would look like in another situation.
Despite the organizational success the Eagles have had during Jalen Hurts’ time, it has been far from the best situation for growth for the young quarterback.
After being selected with the 53rd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Hurts sat behind Carson Wentz for most of his rookie year. This was the final season that Doug Pederson was in charge of play-call duties for the team.
Philadelphia elected to trade Wentz to the Colts and fully move forward with Hurts as their quarterback in his second season. Nick Sirianni was hired as head coach with Shane Steichen filling the role of offensive coordinator while Jonathan Gannon served as the defensive coordinator. This system stayed in place for the 2021 and 2022 seasons until both coordinators were hired as head coaches elsewhere.
The Eagles then hired Brian Johnson as offensive coordinator last year, who had a relationship with Hurts and his family dating back to his youth. After starting with an impressive 10-1 record to begin the season, questions about the play call arose during the collapse and Johnson was fired following the year. Both Johnson and Sirianni had claimed play-call responsibility at separate points in the season, but neither was able to get the team fully back on track once things started slipping.
Heading into this season, Kellen Moore was hired as offensive coordinator with the expectation he would exclusively run the offense. But just three weeks into the season, Sirianni has already claimed responsibility for overruling him on a key fourth-down decision and hinted at deeper involvement. It is impossible to get a straightforward answer for who is pulling the strings from the sidelines—just what Hurts is doing on the field.
So, while the curtain is a bit more veiled than is the case for most teams, the Eagles have given play-call responsibility to at least five different people throughout Hurts’ five years in the league. Beyond just the plays being called, there are deeper philosophical adaptations to the offense that each of these coaches brings as well.
To take things back a step further, this also occurred after Hurts was benched for Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama in his junior year. Hurts transferred to Oklahoma for his final season where he learned a completely different style of offense under Lincoln Riley.
This all also goes without mentioning his relationship with Sirianni. While both sides have done their best to tone down any concerns about them not getting along, Hurts and Sirianni have polar opposite personalities, to say the least. We likely won’t know the full story of the relationship until they are broken up as a duo, but body language analysts have been given plenty to work with on some of their sideline interactions.
Hurts’ On-Field Play
While the coaching alterations are notable, they do not excuse some of the regression that has been seen from Hurts. In his first season as the full-time starter, Hurts threw for 3144 yards on a 61.3% completion percentage. He had 16 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions while adding 10 rushing touchdowns and 784 yards with his legs.
The former Alabama and Oklahoma product truly announced his presence to the NFL world in 2022. En route to the team’s Super Bowl loss, Hurts threw for 3701 passing yards on a 66.5% completion percentage adding 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions. On the ground, he added 760 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also did not throw an interception in the playoffs.
While the overall production was similar, last season is when the turnover issues began to truly show face. In 2023 Hurts threw for 3858 yards and 23 touchdowns. He added 605 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns with his legs, but also hard 15 interceptions and nine fumbles.
Through the opening three games of this season, Hurts has thrown for 772 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions. He has recorded 143 yards and a touchdown with his legs but already has fumbled three times.
If he can simply eliminate the turnovers, the Eagles will be satisfied with his play. Hurts has a renewed burst with his legs compared to last year and continues to have some nice flashes with his arm. But there is work to be done within the quarterback.
The Eye-Test Issues
At the root of the issue for the turnover problem is Jalen Hurts’ unwillingness to quit on a play. Too often the Eagles’ quarterback works through his reads, tucks the ball down, and either scrambles or ad-libs a play. While this has its great flashes at times, sometimes the right decision is to just live to fight another down.
Philadelphia has the luxury of relying on talents like Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith so Hurts does not have to play in full hero ball. When he plays within himself and makes basic football decisions, the Eagles are put in a great position to win. It is when he attempts to do too much or make something out of nothing that the Eagles are punished.
Too often the phrase “game manager” is used in an insulting way when talking about quarterbacks. But if Hurts can get more comfortable operating with this type of mindset, the Eagles would be for the better.
Jalen Hurts’ Outlook
While the frustrations with Hurts are understandable, there are fewer questions regarding him as a player than the majority of quarterbacks in the NFL. The Eagles have made their long-term commitment to the 26-year-old and will continue to go through the growing pains with their franchise quarterback. Even if things are to go entirely south this season, the writing is already on the wall for Sirianni to be the guy who falls on the sword and there would be a blank canvas for Hurts to paint with for the new regime.
But, the reality may be that Hurts and the Eagles just have to settle in and relax. Yes, he has to limit the turnovers and make better decisions with the football. However, the weekly pressure cooker of expectations makes the margin for error small. Philadelphia is held to a Super Bowl standard every week and has an overall regular season record of 27-10 since the start of the 2022 season.
Expectations remain high as the Eagles have the 4th-best Super Bowl odds at +1100 on DraftKings Sportsbook. They also hold +450 odds to win the NFC and are -175 favorites to win the NFC East.
In the short term, don’t be surprised if Hurts continues to show some signs of struggle. Top wide receiver A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are each battling injuries which may only lead Hurts to lean further into his hero-ball tactics.
But in the long term, everyone (Especially Jalen himself) should just take a deep breath. The Eagles are a good team, Hurts is a good quarterback, and the team has the talent around him to deliver on their goals. It takes time for the offense to fully settle in, but no one should be hitting the panic button yet.
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