Eagles Jalen Hurts and Marcus Mariota: NFL's Best QB Duo?
The old saying goes that if you have two quarterbacks in the NFL, you don't have any. But that's not true in the case of the Philadelphia Eagles. Quite the opposite is, actually.
Bucky Brooks of NFL Media recently ranked the top quarterback duos in the NFL, with Jalen Hurts and Marcus Mariota coming in at No. 1:
"Hurts has emerged as a top-five quarterback, thanks to dynamic playmaking abilities as a run-pass threat on the perimeter," Brooks wrote. "His potential to churn out 100-yard rushing games or 300-yard passing outings makes him one of the most challenging matchups in the league. This offseason, the Eagles added a backup with similar traits. ...''
In Brooks' view, Mariota - who has been an NFL starter - has "the experience, expertise and explosiveness to run a Philadelphia offense loaded with RPOs and option tactics.''
Brooks calls Mariota, 29, "the perfect insurance policy to preserve the team's chances at making another Super Bowl run."
"Perfect'' is a bit much. But we understand the view, on both QBs.
At this stage, the remarkable growth Hurts has shown during his first three NFL seasons speaks for itself. He's one of the three best rushing quarterbacks in the NFL, always did a good job of limiting turnovers and has made remarkable strides as a passer since being selected in the second round in 2020.
Between his stints with the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons, Mariota has never lived up to the hype that made him the No. 2 overall pick coming out of Oregon in 2015. With that said, he probably is a more seamless fit to step in if Hurts gets injured than was Gardner Minshew was.
We would also note that during his time backing up Derek Carr with the Las Vegas Raiders, Mariota's legs were utilized in short-yardage situations. For as great of a runner as Hurts is, perhaps the Eagles could limit the hits that their franchise quarterback takes during the regular season by sometimes incorporating Mariota into the offense.
With 17 regular season games and the potential for as many as four playoff games, having a backup quarterback that you trust is no longer a luxury. And if any team knows that, it's the Eagles.
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