There always seems to be a reason why people refuse to give Jalen Hurts his credit.
The roster is too good. The offensive line is dominant. The weapons are loaded. Howie Roseman built the team. The defense carried them.
Fine. We can acknowledge all of that. Howie Roseman is, in my opinion, the best general manager in football, and he has consistently surrounded Hurts with championship-level talent.
But eventually, we have to acknowledge the guy leading the team.
All Jalen Hurts does is win.
Hurts has never had a losing season as the Eagles’ primary starting quarterback. He has already led Philadelphia to two Super Bowl appearances, and when he reached football’s biggest stage, he didn’t shrink from the moment.
Just look at the numbers.
In Super Bowl LVII, Hurts completed 27 of 38 passes for 304 yards and a touchdown. He added another 70 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, finishing the night with 374 total yards and four total touchdowns.
The Eagles lost 38-35, but nobody could reasonably put that loss on Hurts. He delivered one of the best performances of his career on the biggest stage.
Then he got another opportunity against Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX.
This time, Hurts completed 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while adding 72 rushing yards and another touchdown. Philadelphia dominated Kansas City 40-22, and Hurts walked away as Super Bowl MVP.
Across his first two Super Bowl appearances, that’s 595 total passing yards, 142 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns.
What more do people want from this guy?
That shouldn’t be surprising when you look at who Hurts has been throughout his entire football career.
He was a highly accomplished high school quarterback. He became SEC Offensive Player of the Year at Alabama. His college career took him from Alabama to Oklahoma, through adversity that could have broken plenty of quarterbacks, and eventually into the NFL.
And through all of it, Hurts kept winning.
There is also something to be said about leadership. An NFL roster has 53 players with different personalities, backgrounds, egos and roles. Having great talent matters, but getting an entire locker room moving toward the same goal takes someone special.
Hurts has consistently carried himself like the kind of person you want representing your franchise. Listen to him at the podium. Watch how his teammates respond to him. Whether things are going perfectly or everything around him is being questioned, his demeanor rarely changes.
Nobody has to call Jalen Hurts the most naturally gifted quarterback in football. Nobody has to pretend the Eagles haven’t surrounded him with tremendous talent.
But stop using the talent around him as an excuse to dismiss what he has accomplished.
Great teams still need somebody to lead them.
Jalen Hurts wins. He leads. He performs when the lights are brightest.
Maybe instead of constantly asking what he can’t do, it’s time to appreciate everything he already has.
I understand Philadelphia is probably the most impatient sports city in the world. Expectations are always going to be sky-high, and when you play quarterback in Philly, criticism comes with the job.
But come on. The man won you a Super Bowl two seasons ago
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