The Eagles’ slide has pushed a much bigger question to the front of the line: what does Philadelphia do about Jalen Hurts when the long view comes into focus?
Right now, the short-term picture is ugly. The Eagles are 2-5, riding a five-game losing streak and heading toward the NFL trade deadline as sellers. Hurts is out for the rest of the season because of blood clots, though he’s expected to make a full recovery and return to football activities once he’s off blood thinners.
His health comes first. That part isn’t up for debate. But even before the blood clot situation, there was already uncertainty about where Hurts fits in the Eagles’ future plans from a football standpoint.
That’s why the idea of Philadelphia using a premium draft pick on a quarterback next spring is no longer far-fetched. The Eagles currently hold the No. 6 overall pick in the 2027 NFL draft, though that will almost certainly shift as the season unfolds. At the moment, they’re in range to grab a top quarterback if they decide that’s the path they want to take.
Athlon Sports analyst Luke Easterling went there in his recent way-too-early mock draft, projecting the Eagles to take Miami quarterback Darian Mensah in the first round.
“The most important thing right now is Jalen Hurts’ health and well-being, and hopefully, the NFL investigates the events that led up to him being cleared to play an international game despite dealing with blood clots,” Easterling wrote.
“Who knows what the future holds for Hurts in Philly, but this is the same team that drafted him right after handing Carson Wentz a huge extension, so I wouldn’t be shocked if they made another controversial pick here.
“Mensah has been the most impressive, consistent quarterback in this class so far this season.”
Mensah has certainly made a case. The Tulane and Duke transfer has put together a huge season for Miami, piling up 2,151 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and only one interception while helping the Hurricanes climb to No. 1 in the country.
Whether the Eagles would actually go down that road is another question. Hurts came into this season “at a crossroads” with the franchise, with hopes that new OC Sean Mannion would help him reassert himself as a top-tier quarterback. Outside of a pair of late-game, Superman performances against the Commanders and Titans in Weeks 1 and 2, that didn’t happen.
The contract situation only adds another layer. In 2027, Hurts will be entering the fourth season of a five-year, $255 million extension. He has no guaranteed money left on the deal after next season, which makes moving on easier from a team-building standpoint.
There’s also the no-trade clause, along with the cap impact that would come with dealing him. Even so, it wouldn’t be shocking if the Eagles and Hurts eventually went in different directions.
And it wouldn’t be shocking if general manager Howie Roseman drafted a quarterback to eventually take over for him, either.
For now, though, this is all speculation. The Eagles still have time to climb out of their current hole, win a division that remains open and sneak into the playoffs.
But with Hurts sidelined, Philadelphia looks like one of the league’s worst teams. If that continues, the odds of the Eagles drafting his replacement in April will only keep rising.
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Landon Dickerson and Hollywood Brown add more layers to that discussion because their situations bring different kinds of uncertainty. Dickerson has been limited to just two games because of injury, which naturally complicates any read on his place in the roster picture, while Browns usage and contract status make him another player worth monitoring as the deadline approaches. For a team with postseason expectations, the question is no longer just who can help right now, but which names might become part of a larger reshaping if the front office decides to move. [Read more 🡒]