Jalen Hurts is no stranger to the spotlight-or the scrutiny that comes with it. But after the Eagles’ 24-15 loss to the Chicago Bears, the heat has been turned up a few notches on the Philadelphia quarterback. Hurts finished the day 19-of-34 for 230 yards, two touchdowns, and two turnovers, and while the box score doesn’t scream disaster, the film tells a more complicated story.
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t Hurts at his best. In fact, it may have been his roughest outing of the season.
The biggest issue? Missed opportunities.
Hurts had open receivers-DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert among them-but failed to connect on plays that could’ve changed the complexion of the game. Whether it was overthrows, late reads, or simply not pulling the trigger, those misfires added up.
Naturally, the critiques came rolling in, especially on social media, where clips of those missed throws made the rounds. But not everyone was ready to pile on.
Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner came to Hurts’ defense, offering a more nuanced perspective. According to Warner, one of the more glaring misses wasn’t a quarterback error at all-it was a miscommunication on the route.
“Please don’t…” Warner wrote in response to one of the circulating clips. “Jalen went to exactly the right place and really the only place he can go in their O vs B0… they just miscommunicated on the route, but JH did everything else right!”
That’s the kind of insight that reminds us not everything is as simple as it looks in a 10-second clip. Still, Warner’s defense doesn’t erase the broader concerns. Hurts has looked a little off lately, and it’s not just about one bad game.
Over the last four weeks, the numbers tell a concerning story. Hurts hasn’t topped a 70% completion rate in any of those games and has thrown just four touchdowns to one interception in that span. He’s still taking care of the football for the most part-outside of the two turnovers against the Bears-but the pinpoint accuracy that defined his early-season form has slipped.
What’s also noticeable is his decision-making under pressure. Against Chicago, there were moments when Hurts bailed from the pocket prematurely, opting to run instead of standing tall and delivering the throw. That kind of hesitation can stall drives, especially against a defense that was bringing consistent pressure.
Some might chalk it up to the windy conditions or the Bears’ defensive game plan, and there’s probably some truth to that. But even with those factors, Hurts missed throws he usually makes. And for a quarterback who’s built his reputation on poise and precision, that’s worth paying attention to.
The Eagles now have a long week to regroup before facing the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. That extra time could be exactly what Hurts needs to reset.
The tools are still there-the arm talent, the mobility, the leadership. But right now, the rhythm is off, and the Eagles need their quarterback to find it again if they want to stay on track down the stretch.
There’s no panic in Philly just yet, but there is urgency. Hurts has raised the bar for himself, and when he doesn’t meet it, people notice.
The challenge now is getting back to the version of Jalen Hurts who looked like an MVP candidate earlier this season. The Eagles’ playoff hopes might depend on it.