Jalen Hurts has spent the offseason in the middle of a familiar debate: where exactly does he belong in the quarterback hierarchy?
That conversation got louder after ESPN reported that Hurts was criticized by sources for not being coachable and for changing plays. Since then, plenty of analysts have been more willing to question whether the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback belongs in the elite tier. But the case for Hurts is still there, and it starts with the fact that his game has more strengths than weaknesses.
The biggest argument in his favor is the simplest one: he wins. As a starter, Hurts has gone 57-25 in the regular season, a 69.5% winning percentage.
Every year he has been the full-time starter, he has guided the Eagles to a winning record. Some critics dismiss that as a team stat, but Hurts has shown the kind of clutch presence that matters when the game tightens up.
There is, though, a real drawback in his game. Last season, Hurts was noticeably more reluctant to take off and run, and reports backed that up.
He finished with fewer than 600 rushing yards for the first time since his rookie season in 2020. That matters for this offense.
The Eagles are more dangerous when Hurts threatens defenses with his legs, and if opponents don’t think he’ll keep the ball, they can play lighter in the box or key more heavily on Saquon Barkley on RPO looks. If Eagles fans want one thing more from Hurts, it’s simple: run it more.
When he does decide to tuck it and go, though, he remains one of the league’s best. Hurts’ athleticism is obvious.
He’s fast, he moves well for the position, and he can create problems on play-action and when he escapes the pocket. In RPO situations, his legs can force a defense to hesitate, which opens everything up.
The passing game gives him more support too. The idea that Hurts can’t throw the deep ball doesn’t hold up here. He has completed 64.4% of his passes on throws of 20 or more yards down the field, which is a strong number and undercuts the narrative that he struggles vertically.
He’s also effective working down the field between the hashmarks, another area where he gets underrated. Since 2022, Hurts has completed 77.9% of his passes for 855 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions in that part of the field. His 123.7 passer rating on throws between the hashmarks ranks second only to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The knock is that Hurts hasn’t had enough chances to attack the middle of the field, and some of the issues there have been on his receivers. Still, the evidence points in one direction: he is not nearly as limited as some want Eagles fans to believe. He can get it done.
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