NFL Star Jalen Hurts Reveals He Nearly Quit Football

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Mar 12, 2026 3:05 PM ET

Believe it or not, Jalen Hurts wasn't always sure he was going to take his talents to the NFL.

Hurts, the No. 53 overall pick, has surpassed expectations as the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. He's a Super Bowl champion who already has 17,891 passing yards, 3,554 rushing yards and 173 total touchdowns in his career.

The three-time Pro Bowler was invited onto ABC's "Good Morning America" this week to discuss his new children's book, "Better Than a Touchdown." During this exclusive interview, Hurts revealed there was a time in his college career where he wanted to quit playing football.

"A time where I wanted to quit. There was a time I was actually just reflecting on this, there was a time in college where I really questioned, ‘What’s going on? Where do I go from here?’ I had a lot of adversity in front of me. I was counted out. I was doubted. Broken down and dissected and all these different ways. I just persevered," Hurts said, via Fox News Digital.

"My passion overcame every ounce of doubt, overcame every ounce of fear. And I think that’s the No. 1 thing in life. … You gotta have the courage to press forward. Without the courage and perseverance and resilience and the passion, I wouldn’t be here today."

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) speaks with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) after an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images© Eric Hartline-Imagn Images.

New year, new system for Jalen Hurts.

For the fifth NFL season in a row, Hurts will have a new offensive coordinator. The Eagles hired Sean Mannion as their offensive play-caller after parting ways with Kevin Patullo. The MVP-caliber quarterback previously worked with Brian Johnson, Kellen Moore and Shane Steichen.

Even though Mannion hasn't called plays in the NFL, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is confident in his abilities.

“You just could tell right away how sharp he was and then we get him here to the building, it was very obvious,” Sirianni said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “When you do that and when you cast a wide net and you go through the process like that, it reveals itself to you of who the right one is.”

It'll be fascinating to see how Hurts and the Eagles perform with Mannion as their offensive coordinator.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: