The Eagles are still wearing the crown as reigning Super Bowl champs, and if their defense is any indication, they’re not giving it up without a fight. At 8-5, they’ve got a firm grip on the NFC East and a favorable stretch ahead - including matchups against a Raiders team still trying to find its identity and two games against a Commanders squad missing Jayden Daniels.
On paper, it’s a runway to 12-5 and a top seed in the NFC. But if we’ve learned anything about Philly, it’s that their path is rarely smooth, even when the destination is a parade down Broad Street.
This season’s been no exception. There’s been turbulence - from offensive lulls to sideline frustrations - but some of the storm clouds appear to be clearing.
A.J. Brown is back to being a focal point, and when he’s getting his touches, this offense hums with a different energy.
That said, don’t expect the drama to disappear. The Eagles don’t do boring.
They grind, they claw, and they seem to thrive when things get messy. That mentality, paired with a ferocious front seven, is exactly what makes them so dangerous when the calendar flips to January.
Still, with success comes scrutiny, and this week it came from a familiar place: the national media spotlight. On Thursday, FS1’s Colin Cowherd stirred the pot by questioning Jalen Hurts’ long-term durability, asking whether the quarterback is “too small to last in the NFL.”
“Have you noticed how quickly the smaller quarterbacks age?” Cowherd said, lumping Hurts in with Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray.
“Tua, beat up. Kyler, hurt a lot.
Jalen Hurts, on a losing streak. He’s tiny.”
It’s a take that’s bound to get attention, but let’s unpack it. Hurts checks in at 6'1", 225 pounds - not exactly slight by NFL standards.
Is Jalen Hurts too small to last in the NFL? 🤔 @colincowherd pic.twitter.com/0GPjZU6LwW
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 10, 2025
In fact, he’s built like a tank. His lower-body strength is legendary - the guy can squat a small car - and the Eagles lean on that in short-yardage situations more than almost anyone outside of Josh Allen.
He’s not just surviving hits; he’s dishing them out.
And durability? Barring anything unexpected, this will be the sixth straight year Hurts makes at least 15 starts.
That’s not the track record of someone who can’t hold up. He’s taken his share of hits, sure, but he’s also shown he can handle the physical toll of the position - especially in a system that relies on his legs as much as his arm.
The reality is, Hurts is going to be “tiny” in the eyes of some no matter what he does. But if he’s hoisting the Lombardi again come February, no one’s going to care how tall he is or how much he weighs. They’ll just see a quarterback who wins - and that’s the only measurement that really matters.