It’s been a month since Jalen Hurts went down with a blood clot that started in his calf and moved into his lung, ending his 2026 season and leaving the Eagles without their starting quarterback for the last four games. Even with all of that, the league hasn’t exactly written him off.
FanSided’s quarterback rankings still placed Hurts in the top half of the league, slotting him 15th overall in tier 4 as a “solid starter.” In the write-up attached to that ranking, the assessment was blunt about what Hurts dealt with this season: “Hurts had accuracy issues at the beginning of the season, but he was the main reason the team won many of their early games.
He proved his toughness by playing through blood clots when he probably shouldn’t have, and he showed he can set his team up to win. Injuries and poor coaching didn’t set him up for success this season.
Of course, all that matters right now is for Hurts to recover and hopefully be back on the field soon.”
The numbers back up the idea that he was still producing in a tough spot. In five games, Hurts completed 57.8% of his passes for 933 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. He also ran for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Pro Football Focus was less generous in its grading, giving Hurts a 62.6 overall mark that ranked 25th out of 35 quarterbacks. His passing grade came in at 60.6, which placed him 26th.
Still, the bigger picture around Philadelphia is hard to ignore. The Eagles were 2-3 when Hurts got hurt, but the season had already started slipping in the wrong direction. The source of the damage wasn’t just injuries; poor coaching played a role too, and the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams games were pointed to as ones that should have been wins.
That’s why Hurts’ standing matters beyond the raw stats. He spent plenty of this season carrying the offense and putting the Eagles in position to win, even if the coaching around him kept getting in the way.
The point here isn’t that everything was perfect. It’s that Hurts still looked like a quarterback worth building around.
That could become important when the Eagles start sorting through their future. There’s already been talk that with two first-round picks in 2027 after the trade deadline, the team could consider drafting Hurts’ eventual replacement. But that would be a risky move, especially with Hurts still owning three Pro Bowls, a Super Bowl title and a Super Bowl MVP on his résumé.
The Eagles also have a major offseason decision ahead with Hurts’ contract. For now, though, the message is pretty clear: Philly should appreciate what it has. Not everyone has lost faith in Hurts as a quarterback who can still be great in the NFL.
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Eagles Just Sent A Troubling Message About Their Passing Game
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