Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has certainly experienced opposite ends of the NFL spectrum the last couple of seasons.
Two years ago, Hurts was the toast of the league after finishing second in MVP voting and leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance. It appeared that Philadelphia had absolutely found its franchise quarterback.
This past season, however, Hurts was the captain of a massive second-half collapse, as Philly lost five of its last six games after starting out 10-1. It became the first team in NFL history to not win 12 games after winning 10 of its first 11 and then proceeded to get routed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
Hurts was a turnover machine in 2023, throwing 15 interceptions and losing five fumbles. His passer rating dipped from 101.5 to 89.1, and while he punched in 15 rushing touchdowns, he averaged just 3.9 yards per carry.
While Hurts is still just 25 years old and has plenty of room to improve, you have to wonder: is he sort of on the hot seat heading into 2024?
It may sound crazy, but in a league where quarterback play is more paramount than ever, it actually is not an outlandish proposition, and ESPN’s Kimberley Martin has already stated that Hurts is under a lot of pressure.
Now, obviously, Hurts just signed a massive contract extension that takes him through 2028, so the Eagles may be kind of stuck with him regardless. But would Philadelphia consider going in a different direction if he struggles again next season?
It’s not just Hurts’ performance on the field, either. There were rumblings that players in the locker room were not exactly happy with his demeanor down the stretch this past season, which kind of tarnished what was previously an otherworldly reputation as a leader for Hurts.
It’s hard to determine exactly what went wrong for Philly in 2023, but we cannot absolve Hurts of blame. The Eagles’ passing offense ranked 16th in the NFL last year, and that was in spite of having A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith as the top two wide receivers (not to mention Dallas Goedert at tight end). Hurts simply wasn’t good, and if that carries over into 2024, Philadelphia may have some questions to answer.
Philly seems to love Hurts. The fans have embraced him. He has a no-nonsense attitude. By all accounts, he seems like a great guy. But this is a performance-based game, and if Jalen Hurts once again disappoints next season, the Eagles may have to seriously consider their situation under center moving forward.
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