Eagles QB Jalen Hurts admits his 'first love' wasn't football

Hurts & A.J. Brown Impressed Phillies' Manager Rob Thomson Last Offseason

A year ago, Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown warmed up with MLB players before a Phillies' home game against the Detroit Tigers and impressed manager Rob Thomson with their skills. 

“Jalen, just starting to play catch with him, he was struggling because throwing a baseball is a little bit different than throwing a football, but because of the athleticism, he adjusted so quickly,” Thomson said during an appearance on Audacy’s SportsRadio 94 WIP. “And by the time we were done playing catch, he was hitting me in the chest with every throw.”

Hurts' swing gave Thomson lead-off hitter vibes while Brown, a former 19th-round pick of the San Diego Padres in the 2016 MLB Draft, displayed his power-hitting skills. 

“A.J., I think was drafted out of high school for baseball, and boy, could he really swing the bat. He hit four or five balls into the seats," the Phils' manager said. "Jalen is more of a contact, line drive, ground ball guy. He would be kind of my lead-off guy and A.J. would be more in the three-four slot because he's got that power and he hits the ball all over the place. A lot of our guys came out and watched them and we had a lot of fun."

While baseball may be in their blood, it sounds like Hurts and Brown made the right decision between their $255 million and $96 million deals.