Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Facing Pressure: Can He Remain Elite?
Entering last season, many Philadelphia Eagles fans were unsure if Jalen Hurts was built to be a franchise quarterback. Fast forward to the present day, and somehow he still has skeptics, but are they right to doubt him?
Last season, Hurts was a second-team All-Pro after throwing for 3,701 yards, 22 touchdowns, and just six interceptions, but a large part of why he finished second in MVP voting was because he was such an elite rushing threat.
Last year, the Eagles’ dual-threat quarterback ran for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns in the regular season. In the playoffs, Hurts became even more of a weapon on the ground.
As Philly advanced to the Super Bowl, Hurts would finish the postseason with more rushing touchdowns (five) than passing (three). His versatility was commended by many, including Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones who said, “He had the best performance in the Super Bowl that I’ve ever seen of a quarterback – running the ball, throwing the ball. He balled out.”
Even so, internet trolls continue to mock Hurts, calling him a running back rather than a quarterback due to his success pounding the rock last season.
As impressive as Hurts’ season was, he’s now under pressure to make good on his NFL Top 100 ranking, which saw him elevate from not being a top 100 player to being ranked as the third-best player only behind established superstars like Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson -- the reigning Offensive Player of the Year -- and Kansas City Chiefs two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
For Hurts to silence his critics, he’ll need to elevate his game as a passer. This could look something like eclipsing 4,000 yards passing in his third year as a starter and throwing for around 30 touchdowns.
Luckily he’ll benefit from throwing to one of the best-receiving duos in the league in DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. In addition to returning receivers, the Eagles traded for running back D’Andre Swift this offseason, who’s proven himself to be a talented pass catcher out of the backfield.
With success comes expectations. Now that Hurts shocked the world by leading Philly to the Super Bowl and came up a fumble short of hoisting the Lombardi; there’s more pressure for him to succeed than he’s faced since his days at college football juggernaut Alabama.
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