Sooners in the NFL: Former Oklahoma Quarterback Plays Best Game of 2025

Jalen Hurts helped the Eagles improve to 5-2 on Sunday, and he also posted his best statistical game of 2025.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Jalen Hurts and the defending-Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles earned a notable road win on Sunday.

The Eagles beat the Minnesota Vikings 28-22 to improve to 5-2.

Excellent quarterback play from Hurts is a major reason that the Eagles were able to escape the Twin Cities with a win.

Hurts completed 19 of his 23 pass attempts for 326 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. His passing total was his highest of the 2025 season thus far, and he also posted a season-best 95.3 adjusted total quarterback rating (QBR).

The Eagles have made themselves known to utilize Hurts’ leg strength on the “tush push” play, but they didn’t have to utilize that on Sunday, thanks to the quarterback’s efficiency through the air. In fact, Hurts actually finished the win with minus-12 rushing yards on four carries.

Philadelphia leads the NFC East this year after winning Super Bowl LIX in February. The Eagles have lost just twice since Dec. 22, 2024.

So far this season, Hurts has thrown for 1,498 yards, 11 touchdowns and one interception on 69.7 percent passing. The signal caller has also rushed for five touchdowns despite racking up only 54 yards on the ground.

Hurts is playing his sixth NFL season, and he has led the Eagles to a 51-22 record as their starting quarterback. He led Philadelphia to only its second Super Bowl win in franchise history last season.

Before climbing to the professional ranks, Hurts finished his college career at Oklahoma, where he was the starting quarterback in 2019. Hurts placed second in Heisman Trophy voting during his final collegiate season and led the Sooners to their most recent trip to the College Football Playoff.

Hurts played three seasons at Alabama but transferred to Oklahoma after quarterback Tua Tagovailoa stole the starting job from him in 2018.

Former OU linebacker shines in Cowboys’ beatdown of Commanders

Kenneth Murray Jr., an ex-OU linebacker, was arguably the best defender for the Dallas Cowboys in their 44-22 stomping of the Washington Commanders.

Murray finished the rout with nine tackles and a team-high six solo tackles. He also logged a sack and two tackles for loss.

---

READ MORE OKLAHOMA SOONERS

• How to Watch Oklahoma's Top 15 Clash With Ole Miss
• Sunday Offering: 4-star Quarterback Schedules Visit to Oklahoma
• A Defense That's 'Hungry to Overcome Adversity' has Oklahoma Back on Track

---

Murray, who joined the Cowboys before the 2025 season, has registered 51 tackles, 27 solo tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack and a pass deflection so far this season, helping the Cowboys hold a 3-3-1 record.

The linebacker spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Los Angeles Chargers before signing with the Tennessee Titans ahead of the 2024 season. The Cowboys acquired Murray in a trade during the 2025 offseason in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick.

Murray played in 42 games over three seasons at OU. He compiled 335 tackles, 182 solo tackles, 37 tackles for loss and nine sacks for the Sooners before foregoing his final year of eligibility to pursue a career in the NFL.

Trio of Sooner QBs who transferred from OU start on Sunday

Spencer Rattler and Caleb Williams — former OU quarterbacks who transferred away from Norman in favor of other programs — started against each other on Sunday.

Williams and the Chicago Bears defeated Rattler and the New Orleans Saints 26-14.

Neither quarterback played exceptionally in what was an ugly game. Rattler finished with 233 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions on 20-of-32 passing, while Williams ended the contest with 172 yards and an interception on 15-of-26 passing.

At OU, Rattler spent the entire 2020 season as the Sooners’ starting quarterback before Williams took the job from him in 2021. Both quarterbacks departed from the program after the season when coach Lincoln Riley left for USC and the Sooners hired Brent Venables.

Two-year Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel also started on Sunday, leading the Cleveland Browns to a 31-6 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Gabriel’s numbers weren’t flashy: He finished the game with only 116 yards on 13-of-18 passing. But the game was so lopsided that Gabriel didn’t need to be a star.

Gabriel began his college career at UCF before transferring to OU ahead of the 2022 season. He went 16-8 as Oklahoma’s starting quarterback in 2022 and 2023 before he played his final year of college football at Oregon.