Former Utah wide receiver, Britain Covey, went up to bat for his Philadelphia Eagles teammate Jalen Hurts, after a string of bad press targeted the Eagles quarterback in recent weeks.
Lately, Hurts has been on the wrong side of the media rumor mill. The 2023 All-Pro went under fire after alleged reports from within the Eagles organization pinned him as “not approachable” and “less accessible” to teammates.
The narrative reached its peak when former Eagles offensive tackle Barrett Brooks chimed in and used Covey’s relationship with Hurts as an example of Hurts’ detached nature.
Brooks, who now works for NBC Sports as an analyst, made strong claims about the teammates' relationship on The National Football Show with Dan Sileo.
“Covey said, well, I’ve always had the time to go in and talk to any coach. An open-door policy. But I didn’t because I was scared to death to go in there,” Brooks said, “He equated that to the same thing as Jalen Hurts. I believe I can go talk to him, but I never did because I was scared to death.”
Less than a day later, Covey posted a direct response to the claims on X and made sure to let the world know whose side he was on.
“Normally I don’t respond to things like this because I’d hope that people don’t believe everything they hear/read. Jalen is the best leader I’ve ever been around. So you can hear it straight from me, not someone else. I NEVER said he was unapproachable, or I was scared of him,” Covey said in the first of a series of three tweets responding to Brooks.
The Eagles punt returner would go on to add, “I truly don’t get this narrative. Jalen’s authenticity is what makes him a great leader. He’ll eat lunch with the “lowest” ranking guys on the team, like myself. He is a great friend and teammate.”
As Utah fans will attest, Covey is one of the nicest players in football. Therefore it isn't shocking to see him stand up for his quarterback and teammate.
That being said, it's not a good sign of organizational health when your players are forced into defending one of your franchises’ centerpieces. Moreover, Covey is one of the only Eagles players to speak out against the media’s claims against Hurts’ character.
While it might boil down to sheer anger regarding the Eagles all-time collapse to end the 2023 season, it's never a good sign when the rumor mill targets your team. While it’s now clear where Covey stands on Hurts’ character, it remains to be seen if the entire Eagles squad shares a similar sentiment.
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