Jalen Hurts' Improved Speed Could Unlock Eagles' Offense

Through the early stages of Philadelphia Eagles training camp, Jalen Hurts has been turning heads with his speed. Adam Schefter reported on Get Up that everyone at Eagles camp has talked about "how quick and fast [Jalen] Hurts has looked at training camp."

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio told reporters in a recent press conference that he has noticed the quarterback's improved burst.

"Jalen's having a good camp. He looks faster," Fangio said. "Obviously, we can't touch him during practice. There's always that debate whether you had him or not. There's been a few times where our guys think they had him and they really didn't."

Defensive tackle Jalen Carteragreed with Fangio on that sentiment.

"When I watch him when I'm running, it's like a movie," Carter said. "It feels like I'm going slow, but he be moving man. He's been working hard ... he's the one."

The Eagles also appear poised to put more of Hurts' athleticism back into the offense, with Tim McManus reporting that the Eagles offense under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion will see more designed runs, something that surprisingly lessened last season despite the previous success.

Prior to 2025, his previous low was 9.2 rushing attempts per game. In 2025, Hurts averaged fewer than seven attempts per game.

Hurts' involvement in the run game doesn't just benefit Hurts. It creates an additional problem for defenses to account for, opening up opportunities for the running back. When a defense has to respect Hurts as a legitimate ball carrier, it can change the numbers and leverage around Saquon Barkley.

The decline wasn't limited to designed runs, either. Hurts had 42 scrambles in 2024 and 41 in 2025, but the results were dramatically different. He averaged 9.2 yards per scramble in 2024, fifth among quarterbacks, compared to 5.6 yards in 2025, which ranked 25th. His scramble first downs also dropped from 20 to 14.

If Hurts is genuinely moving better this summer, as teammates and observers have suggested, that could have an impact beyond simply adding more designed carries. A more explosive Hurts gives Philadelphia another weapon when a play breaks down and, more importantly, makes defenses pay for losing contain.