Jalen Hurts Leaves Message Around Eagles Locker Room After Chicago Setback

Two days after an ugly 27-7 Monday night setback at Soldier Field, Jalen Hurts did not waste his time with excuses. The Eagles’ QB1 spent it asking a question.

Sep 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) passes against the Chicago Bears during the first half at Soldier Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

PHILADELPHIA — Two days after an ugly 27-7 Monday night setback at Soldier Field, Jalen Hurts did not waste his time with excuses. The Eagles’ QB1 spent it asking a question.

After the game, Hurts said one of the first things he put to the locker room was a simple query: “Who are we?”

“That was one of the key questions I asked the team following the game,” Hurts said at his weekly press conference on Wednesday. “Ask yourself that question, because that’s a choice you can make — and being deliberate and intentional in how we move forward so we can continue to improve.”

The Eagles are 2-1 after winning their first two games in tight, imperfect fashion. Against Chicago, the offense stalled after a late first-half tush-push TD by Hurts. The Eagles managed just 62 yards after halftime, turned the ball over three times, and never found a rhythm against a Bears team piloted by 38-year-old Case Keenum.⁠

Hurts described the adversity as an “opportunity for growth” and noted there were “a lot of moments that we all wish we could have back.” 

The path forward, Hurts said, is testing the details of what the team is asked to do, finding clarity, and building the continuity that has been a theme for this group as it onboards a new offense.

Pressed by Eagles On SI on how close the Eagles are to knowing the answer to “Who are we?” Hurts parried back.

Taking Precedent

Sep 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) looks to pass against the Chicago Bears during the first half at Soldier Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I think that’s a trick question for me, because I don’t really care how we look,” he said. “I don’t care who we are. I wanna be winners. I wanna win, and that’s always gonna take precedent over anything.”

That competitive focus, he said, is the point of the position: finding different ways to bring winning to life even when things are new and “maybe not as smooth as you want them to be.” 

Hurts also discussed embracing a growth period rather than pretending the process is already finished.

“I’ve talked about continuity and building that continuity, building that chemistry, us coming together, staying together, and finding our flow, finding out what this team this year is gonna be,” Hurts said. “There are a lot of lessons in the first three games.”

On losing itself, Hurts was blunt.

“I hate it more than anything in this world,” he insisted. “But at the same time, we need it. It’s something that is natural and part of the process of winning. To win, you have to lose. You have to build resilience and character within that, reflecting on that, choosing to learn from it.”

Hurts has been consistent on that last thought: eschewing any promises in favor of the work. 

In the wake of the Bears’ loss, the work started with an uncomfortable question already put to the locker room and how his teammates will answer it.

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