Chris Simms doesn't think Hurts is much better than Minshew

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Former QB Chris Simms doesn't think Eagles' Jalen Hurts is much better than his backup Gardner Minshew

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 12/16/22

In his third NFL season, Jalen Hurts has emerged as an MVP candidate, helping catapult the Philadelphia Eagles to a 12-1 record, the best in the NFL. However, former quarterback and current NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms doesn't believe Hurts' value is at the level of the league's elite passers.

"There's just no way he's more valuable to his team than (Patrick) Mahomes, (Joe) Burrow, or (Josh) Allen. No way," Simms said.

Not only would Hurts not receive an MVP vote from Simms, but he also thinks the Eagles' machine would keep rolling undeterred without him.

"If you put Gardner Minshew in, the Eagles, they'd still be really damn good, I'm sorry," Simms said.

Chris Simms on Hurts being MVP front-runner: "They have the best O-Line in football, 2nd best WR duo, a great TE.. There's just no way he's more valuable than Mahomes, Allen, or Burrow, no way. If Minshew is in, the #Eagles are still damn good. I'm sorry." pic.twitter.com/B6qfzihrBn
— Eagles Nation X:(12-1) (@PHLEaglesNation) December 15, 2022

Simms cites the Eagles' depth, which seemingly reaches throughout the team, as why he believes Hurts isn't as impactful to the team's success as he seems. But, Hurts' numbers speak for themselves.

Through 13 games, Hurts has already hit career-highs in passing yards (3,157) and passing touchdowns (22) and is averaging a career-best 68 percent completion percentage. Hurts has rushed for 686 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, averaging 4.9 yards per carry.

The 24-year-old also leads the NFL with a 108.4 passer rating and holds the league's lowest interception percentage at 0.8.

Perhaps Simms is only piggybacking off comments made this week by Dallas Cowboys' linebacker Micah Parsons, who also questioned Hurts' MVP hype. Or he's trying to justify his quarterback rankings posted ahead of the 2022 season, where he had a plethora of questionable players ranked ahead of Hurts.

Chris Simms ranked Daniel Jones higher on his QB rankings than Jalen Hurts coming into the season. #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly https://t.co/jCVy9Zgv2u
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) December 16, 2022