Jalen Hurts keeps giving people reasons to rethink the conversation around him, and somehow the doubt still hangs around. After helping the Philadelphia Eagles open the 2026 season with back-to-back wins, he heads into Week 3 against the Chicago Bears with a real chance to force the issue.
This matchup lines up well for Hurts in a way that should grab attention. Chicago’s defense was already viewed as a shaky unit entering the season, thin at all three levels and missing some of the contributors it leaned on in 2025. Even so, the biggest surprise has been how often defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has leaned on man coverage through the first two weeks.
Allen has called man coverage at a 44.8% clip, which ranks second only to the Cleveland Browns so far this season. That number stands out even more when you zoom out: no team has carried a man coverage rate of 44.8% or higher in any of the last four full seasons. With a vulnerable cornerback group, Allen still appears committed to making that his primary look.
That could be a problem for Chicago, because Hurts has been excellent against man coverage this season. He has not been spotless overall - he has thrown two interceptions and sits outside the NFL’s top ten in completion rate, EPA per play, and success rate, according to SumerSports - but the split against man tells a different story.
Against man coverage, Hurts ranks second in EPA per play, second in completion percentage, and second in success rate. When the read is simple and the job is to put the ball where only his receiver can get it, he has been near the top of the league. That’s where his accuracy shows up most clearly.
The Bears may also be working around quarterback issues of their own. Caleb Williams is sidelined, and backup Tyson Bagent is at risk of missing the game with a concussion. That already had the Eagles pointed toward a comfortable result.
If Allen sticks with the heavy man coverage he has shown so far, Hurts and the Eagles should have the kind of setup that can turn a routine win into something louder. And if that happens, the case for giving Hurts more respect around the NFL gets even harder to ignore.
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