There’s been no shortage of noise around Jalen Hurts, but the conversation about him keeps missing the obvious. Before anyone gets too comfortable questioning whether he’s a true franchise quarterback, it’s worth remembering that he outplayed Patrick Mahomes in two Super Bowls.
The second Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl was more of a blowout because of Philly’s stellar defense, sure, but the larger point still lands: Hurts beat the league’s best quarterback on the biggest stage twice. That ought to carry more weight than the way his week-to-week performances sometimes swing.
Even his critics got a fresh reminder recently. Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons basically invited the Eagles to make him look silly when he said a key to last week’s game was “make Jalen Hurts be a QB.”
It took a rocky start, but Hurts answered in the 24-20 comeback victory, finishing strong with downfield throws to DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks. He showed he can get it done without A.J.
Brown, too.
Simmons did the right thing afterward by going over to Hurts and showing respect, and Hurts wasn’t exactly shy about firing back at the earlier comment. As he put it: “You started that [expletive], I had to finish it.”
Hurts wasn’t the only quarterback in this stretch of NFL talk drawing strong opinions. Caleb Williams took plenty of heat for how emotional he looked while being carted off the field with a hamstring injury last week against the Vikings, but that reaction deserves a little more grace.
Hamstring injuries can linger, and they can change the way a player moves. For a quarterback like Williams, whose game depends on extending plays and working outside the pocket, that matters.
It also makes sense that his emotions got the better of him in the moment. He likely thought the injury might keep him out much longer than it actually will.
The bigger takeaway is that the Bears avoided the worst-case scenario, and Williams should be back around in a game or two. There’s nothing wrong with a player being disappointed about the possibility of missing time with his teammates, and there’s even less reason to make fun of him for being himself.
The same goes for Odell Beckham Jr., whose pregame routine before Monday night’s Giants-Rams game drew some odd reactions. Some people questioned why Beckham was out jogging when he rarely sees snaps, but at this stage of his career, he needs to warm up more than others. Beckham has played only 14 snaps in two games, yet he seems to be enjoying every bit of his comeback with the Giants and being back on an NFL roster after missing all of 2025.
Not everyone is going to love the way Beckham carries himself, but he looks like a player having fun while staying ready if his number is called.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Chargers look like a team that needs to start thinking much bigger than one player. After falling to the Raiders and dropping to 0-2, Los Angeles should be considering a more aggressive reset. Tanking for Jeremiah Smith was said half-jokingly, but adding a great wide receiver alone won’t fix what’s broken.
The real issue is deeper. The Chargers should be looking to move some veterans and collect picks so they can add more weapons and rebuild the interior of the offensive line, which is the biggest problem in L.A.
Justin Herbert has been bad so far this season, with two touchdowns and three interceptions, but the mess in front of him has made life harder than it needs to be. The Chargers are rotating players at left guard, and rookie Jake Slaughter has already been forced into action at center after Tyler Biadasz’s season-ending injury.
With the Bills, Seahawks, Broncos, Chiefs and Rams coming up, the schedule is only getting tougher. Joe Hortiz needs to work the phones for draft capital.
And then there’s Brian Flores, who keeps looking like a coach overdue for another shot. It’s hard to believe another coaching cycle came and went without him landing a head coaching job, even if there’s an obvious reason why that might have happened: Flores filed a lawsuit against the league for racial discrimination.
Still, what he’s doing in Minnesota keeps making the case for him. Flores has spent more than three seasons with the Vikings making opposing quarterbacks look foolish, and he’s off to another strong start this year as Minnesota has opened 2-0. He’s been central to that fast start.
The Vikings did lose top pass rusher Jonathan Greenard when the team traded him to Philadelphia, but Dallas Turner has started to look like a future All-Pro after two quiet seasons. Flores keeps dialing up pressure, offenses keep knowing it’s coming, and they still haven’t found many answers. The Bears put up 59 points in Week 1 against the Panthers and only three in their Week 2 loss to the Vikings.
Flores has already proven enough to deserve another head coaching opportunity. Here’s hoping he gets one in the next hiring cycle.
In Other News...
Chargers Suddenly Have A Tight End Problem They Can't Ignore
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Rucci arrives with limited NFL experience, but he does bring something useful in a situation like this: familiarity with offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel's system from his time with the Miami Dolphins. For a team trying to keep its offense moving without two key tight ends, that kind of head start matters, even if the bigger question is how quickly the Chargers can turn a stopgap addition into something workable. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals May Have Exposed A Chargers Problem That Goes Beyond Herbert
The Chargers rough 0-2 start has drawn plenty of attention to Justin Herbert and the new offensive setup, but one ESPN take pointed to a more basic issue up front. Ben Solak argued the bigger concern has been the play of tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, both working back from significant injuries suffered in 2025, and the ripple effect has shown up in protection and penalties along the line.
For a team trying to make a fresh offensive scheme work, that kind of instability on the edges can change everything. Herbert can only operate so comfortably when the pocket is collapsing and the tackles are fighting through recovery, and the early evidence suggests the Chargers problems may be rooted in more than scheme or quarterback play. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Payton Just Put A Broncos Assistant In The Spotlight
Sean Payton spent the week pointing attention toward the guy helping steer Denvers offense, crediting offensive coordinator Davis Webb for the way the Broncos responded after a rough opening to the season. For the Chargers, that kind of coaching spotlight is more than an AFC West curiosity because it speaks to the same early-season pressure now hanging over Jim Harbaughs team after an 0-2 start.
Harbaugh has already made clear the Chargers need to improve quickly, and safety Derwin James echoed that with a blunt emphasis on honesty and correction. In a division where Sean Payton is praising adjustments, Andy Reid is managing workload concerns for Kenneth Walker and planning for rookie Emmett Johnson to take on more, the Chargers are looking for their own answers before the standings start to harden. [Read more 🡒]