Eagles Brandon Graham Sympathizes With Jalen Hurts And Lack Of OC Stability

The Philadelphia Eagles' defense has been good for most of the century, and that's a credit to stability in the DC post, something that hasn't existed for Hurts and some others in the league.

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) runs out of the tunnel for action against the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jalen Hurts was in the news again, and, as usual it wasn’t for all he has accomplished on the field, Instead, it was for what he doesn’t do well.

How else to explain a ranking of No. 17 among all 32 NFL quarterbacks in an ESPN survey of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, released on July 13th by Jeremy Fowler? The only quarterback to start two Super Bowls in Eagles history, winning one and being ranked No. 17? Behind others such as Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, and a host of others who haven’t been to a single Super Bowl in their careers that have spanned far longer than Hurts? Hmm...

Whatever. Maybe it’s all about the coordinator.

Here’s an OC comparison of some of the perceived “better” QBs ahead of Hurts:

Justin Herbert: He is 0-3 in the postseason but has had five OC’s in six seasons.

Josh Allen: He’s had just three OC’s in eight seasons, and yet he consistently comes up short of the big game.

Lamar Jackson: He’s had just three OC’s in eight seasons and is 3-5 in the postseason.

Joe Burrow: He’s only had two OC’s in six seasons, and has battled injury.

Patrick Mahomes: He has had the most stability with just two in nine years, and it shows as he has developed into one of the best to ever play the position.

Dak Prescott: He’s had just four in 10 seasons, yet can't get out of his own way in the postseason, where is just 2-5.

Brandon Graham Believes Jalen Hurts Doesn't Get Enough Credit

Eagles defensive lineman Brandon Graham notched a pair of sacks in the Eagles' 31-0 over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15. | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Brandon Graham sees the difference between having a stable environment on defense, with Vic Fangio returning for a third straight season, versus the Eagles’ rotating door at offensive coordinator.

“That’s where I feel Jalen Hurts, he don’t get enough credit,” said the Eagles’ veteran defensive lineman during a recent airing of Good Morning Football. “For us on defense, we have the same coordinator, and that helps going into the offseason. All he has to do is tweak certain things he’s seen from the film, and we just continuously keep building, keep stacking.”

Look back through the years at the Eagles’ stability at the DC position. Here are some notables:

Jim Johnson: Serving from 1999 until 2008 after being hired by Andy Reid, Johnson was renowned for his aggressive, blitz-heavy schemes and innovative use of safety blitzes and "mug" fronts. The Eagles consistently was one of the NFL's most feared defenses, with 26 Pro Bowl selections, five NFC Championship game appearances, and a Super Bowl berth. He stepped down after the 2008 season due to a battle with melanoma and passed away on July 28, 2009.

Bill Davis: Hired by Chip Kelly, Davis had the defense at a high level in his second season, 2014. The D was tied for second in the NFL for sacks (49), tied for sixth in takeaways at plus-28, including an NFL-best 23 forced fumbles, and ranked fifth in rush yards per attempt.

Jim Schwartz: In the second of his five seasons as DC, he helped the Eagles win their first Super Bowl.

Jonathan Gannon: In the second of his two seasons as the DC, he led the team to a Super Bowl, though it ended in defeat.

Vic Fangio: In his first season, he had the defense playing at a high level and it helped spark the franchise’s second Super Bowl title.

“I’m excited for the defense because I think that’s our strong point until the offense figures everything out, figures out their identity,” said Graham. “I think they’ll know their identity this year because Mannion is already in a great position because of the players he has on this team. They’re hungry. It seems like the guys are loving each other even more and trying to build this thing. But on defense, I’m expecting them boys to be just as great as they have been the last two years.”