The Eagles’ training camp post featuring Jalen Hurts throwing an interception did exactly what the team probably knew it would do: it blew up.
Philadelphia shared the clip on Wednesday, and the play - a pick by cornerback Quinyon Mitchell on Hurts’ pass attempt - quickly turned into a viral moment, drawing more than 16 million views. The reaction included plenty of noise, but former NFL safety T.J. Ward saw it as something more straightforward than a disaster for the quarterback.
Appearing on the “Speakeasy” podcast, Ward called the clip a “perfect example of clickbait” and said it still offered a useful look at how camp really works.
“This is a perfect example of clickbait,” Ward said. “They want the clicks.
I kind of like it though. It’s a realistic view of football and how training camp goes.
You got all these teams out here, just showing the positives of their quarterback. You see him, they're showing picks.
“This is a realistic play that happens in camp from one of the best corners in the league. Our defense got to make plays too and let's put a light on our defense. We're gonna go back to being one of the top defenses in the league, starting with Quinyon Mitchell.”
Ward also pushed back on the idea that the play said anything damaging about Hurts, pointing to the response the video got and the criticism the quarterback tends to draw.
“Was it a mistake? I don't think so,” Ward said.
“You see how many views you got? We see how many haters that Jalen Hurts has?
Obviously, people gonna like to hate, love to hate. 16 million views. Looks like a win for the Eagles when they know on Sunday, regardless, they're gonna be a top team in NFC.”
Hurts is set to run the offense under new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who took over for Kevin Patullo in January. Last season, Hurts and the offense were criticized for the scheme under Patullo.
The Eagles will open preseason play against the Baltimore Ravens over the weekend.
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