League Heavyweights Weigh in on Jalen Hurts

Veteran NFL writer Mike Sando of The Athletic has released his now-annual quarterback tiers piece in which 50 different coaches and executives are surveyed on the league's current crop of signal-callers.

It's traditionally the most honest public assessment you can get when it comes to the thoughts of the league's actual movers and shakers at the game's most important position.

Tier I consisted of six quarterbacks: Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers, Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady of Tampa Bay, Buffalo's Josh Allen, Justin Herbert of the LA Chargers, and Cincinnati's Joe Burrow with the demarcation line being LA Rams Super Bowl-winning QB Matthew Stafford as the leader of Tier 2.

The next dropoff comes at No. 15 where Minnesota's Kirk Cousins kicks off Tier 3, the same group that Eagles QB1 Jalen Hurts was placed in.

A third-year player and second-year starter, Hurts was pegged at No. 20 overall in the 32-team league, ironically tied with projected Washington starter and former Philadelphia on-field leader Carson Wentz.

There was good and bad to the thinking around the league regarding Hurts.

The positive begins with the significant step forward Hurts took in the survey after his first season as an NFL starter in 2021, rising 10 spots after being ranked near the bottom of the list by most of the same evaluators as a largely unproven player with perceived limitations when it comes to arm talent.

Most around the league see what the Eagles see in Hurts, a tremendously hard worker who will reach his ceiling as a player. The questions surround how high the upside is.

“He is a poor man’s Baltimore guy (Lamar Jackson) because he can’t run that fast," one offensive coach said, "but he’s so serious about his job, and he’s physically and mentally tough. He will play very, very consistent. He just won’t be a good enough passer over time to get out of the [Tier] 3s.”

While no one believes Hurts has the ability to be a Tier 1 signal caller, two head coaches not named Nick Sirianni expressed the belief that the South Texas native can reach the top half.

“Jalen is a [Tier] 3 with an arrow to maybe a [Tier] 2,” one of the coaches said. “I love the guy. ... I like that he wants to be really good, and I thought he was playing some pretty good football last year.”

Most still see a potential catch-22 with Hurts and the Eagles, though, especially as the young QB speeds toward his second NFL contract.

“Their staff did a masterful job adjusting the offense for Hurts,” a defensive coach said. “It is just very rare that you are going to have sustainable success running a college-style offense with a limited passer."

The path that the Eagles are on is a clear one when it comes to that defensive mind.

"You are on a path where you are either going to recreate Baltimore’s offense or Hurts is going to prove to you that he can play in a pro-style offense or you are going to get a new quarterback," he said.

The overwhelming sentiment is the one that you have heard on a loop in Philadelphia for a year-plus now.

Hurts is a good QB and Sirianni and Co. did a nice job building an offense around what the young signal-caller does well. To play with the big boys, however, you have to win on third downs by throwing the football consistently.

“If the guy can’t stand there and win on third down with his arm," an offensive coordinator said, "you don’t have a chance."

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Sports. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talker Jody McDonald, every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com and JAKIBSports.com. You can reach John at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen