Jalen Hurts Isn’t Just Playing-He’s Leading, Living, and Blocking Out the Noise
PHILADELPHIA - Jalen Hurts has never been one to flinch under pressure. Whether it’s a collapsing pocket or a chorus of critics, the Eagles’ quarterback continues to respond the same way: with poise, purpose, and the kind of quiet confidence that doesn’t need to shout to be heard.
Coming off a dominant win over the Raiders that silenced a week’s worth of noise, Hurts followed it up Tuesday with another signature moment-not on the field, but at the podium.
“Perception is from those who are watching,” he said. “I’m not watching. I’m living.”
That’s Hurts in a nutshell. Focused.
Grounded. Unbothered by the outside chatter.
And make no mistake-there’s been plenty of chatter this year.
Since hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February after outdueling Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX, Hurts has had his every move dissected. The offseason was filled with debates about where he ranks among the NFL’s elite quarterbacks. Some questioned whether he was driving the Eagles’ success or simply riding shotgun on a loaded roster.
Then came another change at offensive coordinator-this time Kevin Patullo taking the reins-and the growing pains were evident. Even with an 8-2 start, the Eagles hit turbulence.
A three-game skid exposed cracks, and the spotlight turned harsh. A.J.
Brown made headlines with his frustrations. Reports hinted at tension in the locker room.
And after a Monday night meltdown against the Chargers, where Hurts threw four interceptions in an overtime loss, the noise reached a fever pitch.
National pundits pounced. Local radio shows floated the unthinkable: Should Nick Sirianni bench his franchise quarterback?
Hurts didn’t respond with words. He responded with a performance.
Against the Raiders, he delivered a near-flawless outing-matching his number of touchdown passes with his number of incompletions. By the time backup Tanner McKee entered the game in the fourth quarter, it was only because Hurts had already done the damage. The scoreboard, and the stat sheet, told the story.
Still, Hurts kept things brief in his postgame comments. It wasn’t until Tuesday, back at the NovaCare Complex, that he peeled back the curtain just a bit.
He spoke about pride-specifically, the pride he takes in being labeled “clutch,” a trait Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie once attributed to him. He talked about the thrill of winning, the “sense of excitement” that comes with competing at the highest level. And he addressed the so-called pressure that’s been swirling around him.
Hurts insisted he hadn’t heard the criticism. When pressed on how he manages to tune it all out, his answer was simple and firm.
“It’s who I am,” he said. “You know, this isn’t my first rodeo.
It’s been a very unprecedented journey to be here. But unprecedented is unprecedented.”
That journey has taken Hurts from Channelview High School in Texas to Alabama, where he lost his starting job. Then to Oklahoma, where he rebuilt his game and his reputation.
Then to the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, where the Eagles took a chance that many questioned. Then came the quarterback battle with Carson Wentz, the heartbreak of Super Bowl LVII, the collapse of 2023, and finally, the redemption of a championship in 2024.
Now, it’s 2025. The Eagles are 9-5. The questions haven’t stopped, and neither has Hurts.
There’s still work to do. The playoffs are looming.
The goal remains the same: a repeat trip to the mountaintop. Hurts knows that the real defining moments of a season don’t come in September or October.
They come when the stakes are highest.
“Real things are found in December, January and February,” he said. “... I definitely look forward to those moments.”
So while others watch, speculate, and analyze, Jalen Hurts keeps living-and leading.