Jalen Hurts has been met with mixed reactions after he took the reins from Carson Wentz in the 2020 NFL season; some fans praised the move, while others despised it. Once Wentz was traded to the Indianapolis Colts, it felt as if Hurts could never leave the shadow that Wentz had left; after all, Wentz was the first consistent Quarterback that the Eagles had since Donovan McNabb. The debate surrounding whether or not Hurts could be the franchise Quarterback of the Eagles continued both throughout the season, as well as the offseason. The debate over Hurts seemed to split the Eagles fanbase in half; some wanting a different player under center whereas others were sold on the Hurts experience.
Jalen Hurts commandeered (pun intended) the offense from Carson Wentz in Week 14 of the 2020 NFL season after an abysmal year from Wentz. Hurts never looked back and was named the starter for the Eagles in 2021 after Wentz was traded to the Indianapolis Colts prior to the season. Hurts had a decent year in 2021; he showed flashes of stardom during some games, and in others he left much to be desired.
Hurts’ main criticism from last year was his lack of consistency throwing the ball; some of his passes were either too early or too late, which led to fans and analysts questioning his arm strength. While his passing can certainly improve, what Hurts brought to the running game was extremely valuable. In hopes of settling this debate, let’s take a look at how Hurts performed in comparison to some other notable quarterbacks in the NFL.
A Comprehensive Look at Hurts
Jalen Hurts has started 19 regular season games for the Philadelphia Eagles in his first two years in the NFL, not including his playoff start against Tampa Bay in 2021. Across those 19 starts, he has thrown for 4,063 yards, 21 touchdowns, with a completion percentage of 59.1%. Let’s be realistic; Hurts’ stats during his first 19 starts are not eye-popping; his statistics are decent, but not great. With that being said, it would be remiss of me not to note the fact that his number 2 receiver during the 2021 NFL season was Jalen Reagor, who was notorious for failing to create separation as well as dropping passes. Although Reagor certainly did not contribute to Hurts’ success, that is definitely not enough to make excuses for Hurts. The fact of the matter is that Hurts displayed some great plays as well as some rough ones during his first 19 starts; some games he looked incredible while in others, he clearly had some growing to do.
Hurts vs. Allen
A player that I would like to highlight in comparison to Hurts is Josh Allen, who had an incredible year for the Buffalo Bills this past season. Allen was drafted out of the University of Wyoming with the 7th pick in the 2018 NFL draft and started 11 games during his rookie year. Allen is known widely around the league arguably as one of the top five Quarterbacks in the NFL. His big play ability and impressive arm strength has proven to be a threat to NFL defenses; he boasted 36 touchdowns and over 4,400 passing yards last season.
Although Allen has become a great Quarterback, he had a rocky start at the beginning of his career. Below is a comparison of stats between his first 19 starts and Hurts’ first 19 starts:
Hurts:
- Completion Percentage: 59.1%
- Pass Yards per Attempt: 7.2
- Pass Yards per Game: 213.8
- Pass TD-INT: 21-12
- Passer Rating: 84.8
- Rushing Yards per Game: 55.6
- Rushing TD’s: 13
Allen:
- Completion Percentage: 59.7%
- Pass Yards per Attempt: 6.07
- Pass Yards per Game: 174.9
- Pass TD-INT: 20-19
- Passer Rating: 78.6
- Rushing Yards per Game: 44.8
- Rushing TD’s: 12
Through 19 starts, Jalen Hurts actually has better stats than Josh Allen in the majority of categories listed above. Hear me out: this does not mean that Jalen Hurts is a better Quarterback; rather, this means that most young Quarterbacks can struggle throughout the first few years of their careers. Allen was not chastised for his rough start to his career; rather, the Bills built around him because they believed in him. Although I wouldn’t say that Hurts necessarily struggled throughout his first 19 starts, he left room for improvement. My question to Eagles fans is: why do some want to move on from Hurts after only 19 career regular season starts? If Allen can improve, why can’t Hurts?
Hurts vs. Wentz
Similarly to how I compared the first 19 starts between Allen and Hurts, I’d like to do the same with the first 19 starts between Hurts and Philadelphia’s former franchise Quarterback, Carson Wentz.
Hurts:
- Completion Percentage: 59.1%
- Pass Yards per Attempt: 7.2
- Pass Yards per Game: 213.8
- Pass TD-INT: 21-12
- Passer Rating: 84.8
- Rushing Yards per Game: 55.6
- Rushing TD’s: 13
Wentz:
- Completion Percentage: 62.4%
- Pass Yards per Attempt: 6.4
- Pass Yards per Game: 242
- Pass TD-INT: 21-16
- Passer Rating: 85.0
- Rushing Yards per Game: 12.3
- Rushing TD’s: 2
The eye test shows that Wentz had a better 19 starts when it comes to passing in most categories, but Hurts’ rushing ability can arguably give him the edge. Wentz is known as a gunslinger type of Quarterback; not afraid to sling the football & fit it into tight spaces. Although Hurts does not have the same type of mentality or ability when it comes to the Quarterback position in regards to throwing the ball, Hurts provides you with something that Wentz cannot; the ability to keep defenses off balance with his rushing abilities. Hurts led all NFL QB’s in rushing yards in the 2021 NFL season with 784 yards on the ground. Overall, the stats come out as fairly equal, which begs the question: why are so many Eagles fans willing to give up on Hurts after 19 regular season starts while they gave Wentz time to improve during his first 19 starts?
Hurts vs. Herbert
Let’s take a look at how Jalen Hurts stacks up against another up and coming AFC Quarterback in Justin Herbert:
Hurts:
- Completion Percentage: 59.1%
- Pass Yards per Attempt: 7.2
- Pass Yards per Game: 213.8
- Pass TD-INT: 21-12
- Passer Rating: 84.8
- Rushing Yards per Game: 55.6
- Rushing TD’s: 13
Herbert:
- Completion Percentage: 67.0%
- Pass Yards per Attempt: 7.3
- Pass Yards per Game: 290.2
- Pass TD-INT: 40-13
- Passer Rating: 88.5
- Rushing Yards per Game: 13.9
- Rushing TD’s: 5
Much like Hurts’ comparison to Wentz, Herbert certainly holds the advantage when it comes to the passing game. Herbert threw for an astonishing 40 touchdowns to only 13 interceptions in his first 19 starts, which are incredible numbers for the young Quarterback. Although Hurts lacks the raw arm strength that Herbert has, Hurts brings another element to the offense in his ground game. I would give Herbert the edge in this comparison, but Hurts is not as far behind as some would think.
Pros & Cons of Hurts as QB1
Hurts had a decent first year starting as the Quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles; he made plays both in the air and on the ground. Although he can certainly improve, he has intrigued many Eagles fans throughout his young NFL career. As mentioned previously; Hurts led all NFL quarterbacks in rushing yards last year. This is not a statistic to scoff at; Hurts’ dual-threat abilities allow him to keep defenses off balance which can, in turn, open up the passing game. Personally, I would love to see Hurts take the next step in his development by throwing with more anticipation this coming NFL season; too many times he would throw too late which resulted in an incompletion or an interception.
One thing that Hurts has going for him, aside from his on the field abilities, is his leadership qualities; the Eagles locker room seems to love Hurts and his demeanor. He seemingly has won over the Eagles locker room, which is a fresh change from the former QB1 of the Eagles. Going back to his University of Oklahoma days, Hurts would be the first player in the weight room after a game; regardless of a win or a loss. This is the type of leadership that NFL teams look for in a franchise Quarterback; someone who isn’t afraid to take responsibility and who is willing to put in the work to improve.
Philadelphia legend Jason Kelce also had this to say about Hurts:
Why Hurts should be QB1
Hurts has shown flashes of what could be a great NFL Quarterback; he possesses the quickness and elusiveness in the pocket to break away from defenders as well as a scrambling ability that can give defenses fits. In addition to this, the Eagles traded for a former friend of his during draft night in A.J. Brown. Brown has had an explosive start to his NFL career, quickly becoming one of the NFL’s top receivers during his time in Tennessee. The chemistry that Brown and Hurts have together should translate to the field extremely quickly.
Another aspect of the Eagles offense that has not been talked about enough in my opinion is the fact that with the addition of A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith will now be matched up against opposing teams’ CB2. Smith broke the Eagles rookie receiving yards record previously held by DeSean Jackson; a record that had been held by Jackson since 2008. Coming off of a 916 yard rookie year, Smith is a valuable asset in the Eagles offense and a reliable weapon for Hurts. Brown’s addition to the Eagles’ Wide Receiver corps leaves Smith poised for a breakout year, which, in turn, gives Jalen Hurts the opportunity to improve as well.
In addition to the pieces that the Eagles’ front office has added on the field, it is important to note that this is the first year since High School that Hurts will have the same Offensive Coordinator in back-to-back years. Since Hurts enrolled in Alabama and then transferred to Oklahoma during his collegiate career, he never had the same Offensive Coordinator due to the high turnover in NCAA coaching staffs. The familiarity between Hurts and Shane Steichen will be an extreme advantage for Hurts entering into this coming NFL season.
Overall, I firmly believe that Hurts will have a good year in the 2022 NFL season; he has all the tools necessary to make the strides that many Eagles fans are yearning to see from their Quarterback. Although I believe in Hurts, that doesn’t necessary mean that he will have a good season. The reality is that he is a young quarterback with some doubts surrounding him. My request to Eagles nation is to give him a chance; Hurts has brought life into the Eagles locker room and has the tools around him to have a great year. The notion that Hurts cannot be the franchise QB is asinine, due to the fact that he has only started 19 regular season games. Give Hurts time to see how he develops; the potential is there. Ultimately time will tell, but I am excited to see how Hurts improves throughout this coming season. As always, Go Birds!
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Nate EichnerĀ is a featured writer atĀ The Birds Blitz. For more from Nate, check out hisĀ archiveĀ and read through ourĀ Eagles articlesĀ for the latest news about the Birds.
Enjoyed the article. Interesting stat comparisons. Hoping he develops into a top QB!