NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia Eagles are heading to their second Super Bowl in three seasons, and a main reason for that is quarterback Jalen Hurts. While Hurts takes his share of criticism, one thing often goes unmentioned regarding his time in the NFL: He has had four offensive coordinators in his brief NFL career.
Since entering the league in 2020, Hurts has played under 4 different OCs. And yet, all he does is win. Think about that for a moment. A QB carrying the weight of a franchise on his shoulders has not had the type of bond that a player like Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, Lamar Jackson, and some of the other high-priced QBs in the league have with their OC or head coaches.
Hurts began his career with Doug Pederson calling the shots in 2020. In 2021, the offensive reigns were handed over to Shane Steichen. In 2023, Brian Johnson took over. And this season, the offense was handed over to Kellen Moore. Where is the consistency for Jalen Hurts?
No one will ever confuse the arm of Hurts with those of Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, or Goff. That has never been his game dating back to his days at Alabama. And yet, Hurts’ name has been mentioned in MVP talks. How does he do that with no consistency from the OC position?
Many believe that his production has slowed this season. Maybe so, but can we ignore the results? The Philadelphia Eagles are back in the SB. What’s more important, gaudy stats like Jackson or Joe Burrow or wins like Mahomes? Jalen Hurts is a winner no matter who calls the plays.
But imagine where he could be if there was a bond to be grown between him and an OC for more than a season. Even now, Moore’s name is being mentioned as a possible candidate to lead a team. If he does leave, that means there will be another OC calling the plays for the Eagles in 2025. That will make OC No. 5.
No one talks about that. Each season he has to go in and learn a new playbook, and philosophy, and try to forge a bond on the fly. That’s hard to do at least 2-3 times in a 13-year career but imagine going through this every offseason. Hurts never complains, he puts on his pads and does what he does—win.
As a starter, Jalen Hurts has a record of 46-20 in the regular season and a playoff record of 5-3 with 2 SB appearances to his name. If he gets one next month, watch out.
His relationship with Nick Sirianni has been up and down but together, they have carved out a winning formula. Hurts has never thrown for 4000 yards in a season. He has never led the NFL in Passing Yards, Passing TDs, or accuracy. But what he does is what other QBs are jealous of. He gets his team in position to play for the Lombardi Trophy.
In an era where QBs are judged by Yards, TDs, and Wins, Jalen Hurts is often criticized the most because analysts believe he doesn’t do enough. And yet, as a full-time starter for 4 years, he’s been to the big game twice while others are still trying to sniff the paint.
