NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
Even after winning a Super Bowl and taking home the MVP, the critics are still sounding off on Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles. But why? The answer is simple. He’s winning more than their favorite QBs.
Nothing makes more sense than that. For years, analysts have praised the performance of Patrick Mahomes, the toughness of Josh Allen, the arm of Joe Burrow, and the legs of Lamar Jackson. But when you break it all down, only Mahomes has had a better career when it comes to winning than Hurts.
Yes, Allen has supposedly done more with less than Hurts; however, he has not won the big one when it has counted most over the Chiefs. Jackson has the league MVPs to his name, but how many fans of the Ravens have booked a trip to the Super Bowl with him in uniform? As for Burrow, he has a trip under his belt, and yet, his team is still trying to find its footing.
And as for Jalen Hurts, well, as a full-time starter, all he has done is lead his team to 2 Super Bowls in 3 seasons and walked away with a ring of his own. While his passing yards are not as gaudy as some of the other names on this list, he does what fans and organizations want their QBs to do: win.
A QB can throw for 5000 yards for 3 straight seasons to go along with 40 TDs and still fall short. A player like Hurts can pass for 3000 yards, 20 TDs, and be the last man standing when the confetti drops. And that is the problem guys like Cam Newton are having.
I really fool with Jalen Hurts the individual. He’s a stand-up guy,” Newton explained. “But when it comes to making this point of discussion about top-10 quarterbacks, unfortunately throwing for only 2,900 yards are not elite numbers.
This is the same Newton who said he would not trade in his MVP for a Super Bowl ring. The same Newton who refused to hop on a fumble from his own hands in the Super Bowl. Now, he’s watching Hurts do what he was supposed to do while leading the Carolina Panthers.
The knock on Newton was that he didn’t have the talent around him, just a solid defense. So what everyone is pointing to when it comes to Hurts is the weapons around him. The best O-line in the NFL, Saquon Barkley, AJ Brown, and DeVonta Smith. That’s cool, but he’s not the only one.
Where was this take when Mahomes was throwing to Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce? Where was this talk when Josh Allen had Stefon Diggs? What about the weapons Dak Prescott had in Dallas? Oh, wait, how can we forget the crazy weapons Burrow has in Cincinnati or the upgraded weapons that were given to Jackson in Baltimore?
But yet, Hurts is catching all the flak? There was no mention of weapons paired with Matthew Stafford when he was throwing to Puka Nucua and Cooper Kupp. What about Jared Goff and the slew of offensive power he had in Detroit over the last two seasons? Why all the hate for Jalen Hurts?
The hatred stems from the fact that they wanted him to fail with all those weapons, just as their favorite QBs have failed with theirs. But he didn’t, and that is a concern for them. They are refusing to eat crow. Is it that hard to say they were wrong? To say that Hurts is not a top-tier QB after beating the top-tier QBs the last few seasons is a slap in the face for any QB with his resume.
But that’s the special thing about Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. Neither he nor they asked for the respect; he wants the wins and rings that come with proving everyone wrong. That’s where some of those players on the list above him have failed at.
Jalen Hurts was supposed to be the next Cam Newton. Not in terms of talent, but in terms of not reaching his potential. Head-to-head, Hurts has outplayed Mahomes. He has beaten Allen, Jackson, and Burrow. He has also upstaged Stafford and Prescott. He is one of the best in the NFL, and those who judge and rate can’t come to terms with that cause they are too busy hiding in their shame and disbelief that he’s better than those they root for. Plain and simple.
