I am a big fan of Jalen Hurts. Like, a really big fan. I mean, what’s not to love about the guy? His mentality embodies everything one could want in a “face of the franchise” – he’s got the grit, confidence, and work ethic to back it all up. Most genuine Philly fans can at minimum acknowledge that Hurts is a great guy and the type of person you want leading your football team. At the same time, however, discourse rages as to whether Jalen Hurts is a viable candidate to lead this football team in the long run. Neither side of the debate is right or wrong, as we’ve seen both positive and negative qualities from Hurts that could support either opinion. The truth is that if Jalen wants to prove himself “the guy” for this franchise, he’s going to have to do it this year.
While I have full faith that he’s going to put his all into ensuring that happens, the fact is that some things just come naturally, and no matter how hard you work, just can’t appear. I believe that the current “debate” over whether Hurts is the franchise guy is somewhat redundant, as we simply don’t know yet. A better discussion, I believe, is what Hurts needs to do in 2022 to prove himself in the eyes of the organization and the fanbase. So just what could that entail? Let’s find out.
Winning
The Eagles made the playoffs in 2021. That’s awesome, right? Surely, you can put full faith in a quarterback who can lead his teams to the playoffs – after all, you can’t win it all without getting to the dance. Well, as both I and my fellow writer Dylan Patrowicz (check his article on wins as a QB stat) would tell you, that’s a take lacking in the most basic of nuance. Sure, you probably aren’t getting to the Super Bowl with a great quarterback, but attributing a signal caller’s viability to simple wins and losses is setting yourself up for misevaluation. The Eagles beat one team with a winning record in 2021 and got demolished by the Buccaneers in the first round, which rests largely on the shoulders of Hurts.
A quarterback you can win regular season games with is great, but we want to know if Hurts is a guy who can be a large (or at least contributing) factor in winning high-stakes contests against great teams. Putting a specific win total on Hurts’ back is unfair, but I think it’s safe to say that with our heavily improved roster, we should at least look significantly better in 2022. However, that all goes out the window in the playoffs – if the Eagles make a deep run, I think it’s a clear sign that Hurts has what it takes. If not, it all comes down to the context, and how Hurts looks in the game and the regular season, as well as the performance around him. That leads into the second factor –
Production
Barring injury, the team that has been built around Hurts has set him up to succeed as both a runner and a passer. With a top 5 offensive line and explosive receiving core, Hurts really has no excuses to not flourish. What does “flourishing” look like? Well, that would be improving on his deficiencies we saw last year. I want to see a quarterback who isn’t just a read and run type of guy – Hurts should be able to stand in the pocket, move through his progressions, and deliver accurate balls all over the field.
Without a rocket arm like some other young QBs, it’s going to be imperative Jalen develops these skills, and to use his legs as another dimension to his game, as opposed to a crutch. In truth, these skills are tough to develop, and that worries me when it comes to Hurts’ chances at being the guy. However, if anyone has the work ethic to do it, it’s him – we can only hope he takes advantage of what’s been placed around him and takes that next step.
“It” factor
Some people may scoff at me listing the “it” factor as a prerequisite to Jalen becoming our franchise quarterback. Even so, I truly believe that having that special ability to step up in the clutch and lead your team when the going gets tough is a trait that is required to be a top tier QB in this league. Some guys we often see thrown around as “middle of the road QBs” aren’t that way because of a lack of arm talent, or athleticism, or football IQ – no, what truly separates Kirk Cousins from Aaron Rodgers is the ability to make magic happen on the football field. I know I said earlier that I wanted Jalen Hurts to be able to play in structure and go through the motions as any other NFL quarterback would – but after that, what will decide his future here is whether or not he has that second gear in which he leads his team to victory by himself. I think this is ironically the thing I’m least worried about when it comes to Hurts; being engrossed in his story for so long, you can just tell there’s something special about him that not many other human beings have (check out my story on Jalen Hurts’ journey to the NFL as proof). It’s going to be apparent to all whether or not Hurts has this “it” factor by the end of the season, and if he does, the future could look very bright for Eagles football.
I think the Eagles front office is acutely aware of the value of quarterback play. This organization has been through such a weird history when it comes to the QB position that they’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the role. What scares me the most is not Hurts being a dreadfully bad quarterback – not only do I think he’s at least playable, but that scenario would set us up with a clear path to acquire a proven veteran or young talent with our picks next year. Instead, I fear Hurts taking a step, but not one large enough to warrant the massive contracts that he will most likely demand as a “franchise quarterback” in 2024. The only thing worse than having no quarterback is having an overpaid one that shackles your team, leaving your franchise in purgatory. I will always root for Jalen Hurts, but I will always root for the Eagles interests harder. All we as fans can do now is support the guys we have, and hope everything works out in our favor; and luckily, a guy like Jalen Hurts makes that really easy.
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Noah Berger is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Noah, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
Many feel that Hurts, after 2 seasons in the NFL (with good improvement from year 1 to year 2) is still a bottom tier QB. To that point, whether you look at his QB Rating or completion % etc, he’s bottom tier. Meanwhile, other stats like QBR and Yds/completion are more mid-tier among other QBs. And finally, leading his team to a 9-8 season last year, again shows middle of the road results. Others may focus on the qualitative aspects of the game and feel differently, but those who argue he’s a mid-to lower-tier QB have a lot of support for their position. Given that he’s only got 2 years in the NFL, Eagles fans hopefully have the realistic perspective, that there is much to improve on in his game but that he’s well-coached and determined to put in the work to keep moving up the charts among his QB peers from lower-tier to mid-tier to top-tier QB in the years to come.