Eagles teammates: Jalen Hurts changed 'a lot' after Super Bowl win

Quarterback Jalen Hurts earned Super Bowl LIX MVP honors shortly after he guided the Philadelphia Eagles to a 40-22 blowout win over the Kansas City Chiefs this past February. 

As the Eagles prepare to begin the defense of their title with a home game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night, multiple Philadelphia players addressed how Hurts' success on the sport's biggest stage changed him ahead of the upcoming season. 

"He’s definitely a lot more confident than any other year," Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata said about Hurts, per Zach Berman of The Athletic. "And it’s not to knock on all the other years. You can feel who he is as our leader, but also in this offense. …He knows the offense. It’s actually beautiful to be a part of, because I feel like it’s not just him, though. It’s just like our role, too, really understanding, even just like QB depth in the pass reps, the timing of, how do we want to design the pocket? Just even those minute details, it gives confidence in us, it gives confidence in J."

Jalen Hurts had to prove himself to Eagles fans

Hurts was often a polarizing figure among Philadelphia fans over pockets of his first five pro seasons. To this day, it's somewhat unclear if the Eagles came close to replacing the 2020 second-round draft pick with Deshaun Watson in March 2022. While Philadelphia later signed Hurts to a five-year contract extension reportedly worth up to $255M with $179.3M guaranteed in the spring of 2023, a January 2024 report indicated the team wasn't married to that deal beyond this past season. 

One would think Hurts would have silenced critics by becoming the first quarterback since Joe Montana (1985) to record two-plus passing touchdowns, 50-plus rushing yards and a score on the ground in a Super Bowl. However, some have continued to suggest that Hurts was essentially carried by teammates such as running back and reigning Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley throughout the 2024 season. 

"One hundred percent," Barkley said about Hurts being more confident in his abilities than where the signal-caller was 12 months ago. "I don’t know if it’s just that I’m noticing that, because it’s my second year within the offense and with him, being on his team, but definitely. He was super confident before, don’t get me wrong. But just the way he’s dictating the huddle, leading the huddle. He’s always been a great leader, but we always have room for improvement. And I love that about him." 

Hurts may never produce regular-season MVP numbers while sharing an offense with Barkley, but those associated with the Eagles have repeatedly made it known throughout 2025 that they have bigger goals in mind. As of Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had Philadelphia third among the betting favorites at +700 odds to win Super Bowl LX.

"There is definitely a sense of confidence," Hurts recently acknowledged. "Those are things you want to feed off of and build off of. But you have to have a diligent approach to it daily. It’s not guaranteed. Nothing is promised. There’s a willingness to be open. …I want to continue to grow. That journey is still going." 

Hurts may put on quite a show at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday night now that he doesn't have to worry about Micah Parsons featuring for the Dallas pass rush.