Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Robert Griffin III: Eagles QB Jalen Hurts a 'not-too-early' MVP candidate

It wasn't all that long ago when some within the NFL community were linking the Philadelphia Eagles with star quarterback Deshaun Watson as a potential replacement for 2020 second-round draft pick Jalen Hurts. Philadelphia ultimately stuck with Hurts and then gave him "best friend" and star wide receiver A.J. Brown as a weapon via a springtime trade with the Tennessee Titans, and those moves are working out quite well for all involved in the closing days of summer. 

Specifically, Hurts completed 26-of-31 passes for 333 yards with a touchdown and an interception to go along with a pair of rushing scores in the 24-7 "Monday Night Football" win over the Minnesota Vikings that propelled the Eagles to 2-0 on the season. After that result, former NFL signal-caller and current analyst Robert Griffin III named Hurts a "not-too-early" candidate for Most Valuable Player considerations. 

"Everything that he is doing right now is showing the dividends from the work that he put in the offseason," Griffin said during Tuesday's edition of the ESPN "Get Up" program. "Jalen Hurts is making every throw imaginable — deep shots, timing routes on the sideline, touch right over the defenders. And I'm just trying to figure out when are people going to stop doubting Jalen Hurts?

"This guy, every step of his career, has overcome adversity and proved his doubters wrong. The guy is straight out balling. And he's showing you how the impact of having a true No. 1 receiver can really change the fortunes for a young quarterback." 

Per ESPN stats, Hurts is 10th among eligible quarterbacks this season with a 97.1 passer rating, seventh with a 70.8 total QBR, and seventh with 576 passing yards. He's tallied one passing and three rushing touchdowns and added 147 yards on 28 carries across Philadelphia's two wins. 

The Eagles next play at the 1-1 Washington Commanders this coming Sunday. 

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