The endless debate over the value of the Eagles’ QB needs to be laid to rest
While heading home from work the other day, I made the mistake of not going directly to a podcast and instead listening to a few brief minutes of sports radio content. During which I once again had the displeasure of hearing another heated debate over how good Jalen Hurts actually is. The conversation stemmed from Pro Football Focus dropping a way too early ranking of QBs heading into 2025. On this list, PFF ranked Jalen Hurts as 5th in the NFL. One spot out of the “Elite” QB category, but the highest ranked of the next category in which they labeled “High-End Starters”. This heated conversation highlighted a debate that, honestly, for years has been truly exhausting. How good is Jalen Hurts? This talking point is incredibly tiring and frustrating on both the local and national levels. It often feels like both sides are yelling the exact same thing, too. There just isn’t any reason for the conversation to exist anymore.
Jalen Hurts is a very good quarterback and has been dating back to his high school days. It is okay to admit that, even if you did not believe that before. Where Jalen is ranked on this list of QBs from PFF is a totally reasonable spot for him to be. Maybe because of the playoff success he’s had, he should be considered elite, but five is the right spot. He is not better than Mahomes, Lamar, Burrow, or Allen. His wildly unflappable personality which connects to a dynamic clutch gene has led to postseason success and his consistent ability to do what the team needs from him, meshed with elite running skills and an innate ability to not turn the ball over has helped lead the Eagles to the 2nd most wins in the NFL (postseason included) since the start of 2021. The Eagles have made the playoffs for four straight years with Hurts at the helm, for the first time since 2001-2004, nearly a quarter century ago (ouch).
Now here comes the part Jalen critics roll their eyes at: Jalen Hurts is a winner. So far in his career, Jalen has ended 50% of the seasons he started in the Super Bowl, with his most recent one ending in only the second Super Bowl victory in Eagles history. Technically, he is the only Eagles starting Quarterback to win the Super Bowl. While it is fair to point at the rosters surrounding the man, specifically in 2022 and 2024, and show how stacked they were, the latter of which may have been one of the best rosters ever constructed, that argument should work the same when that wasn’t the case. In 2021, when second-year Hurts took over for a team that went 4-11-1 in the previous season and was lacking in every element, and brought them to a playoff appearance with a five-win improvement, based on that argument, that should be credited to Hurts, right? Or what about in 2023? When coming off a Super Bowl appearance, Hurts led the Eagles to an 11-6 record and a playoff appearance with the 30th-ranked defense in the NFL. A defense that was giving up nearly 26 points a game. There is a reason why guys like Brock Purdy of the 49ers or Jared Goff of the Lions have not gotten it done with very comparable rosters. They cannot close things out the way Jalen Hurts can, and critiquing Hurts for winning games because there are good players around him is such a weird conversation. To say he is not contributing to the team’s success is a completely disingenuous argument. There is no way that the guy playing arguably the most important position in sports is not in any way actively contributing to the success of his team.
Jalen Hurts will never be the best QB in the NFL. He’ll beat the best as he is 5-0 since the start of 2023 against the aforementioned “Elite” group of NFL QBs, but maybe he does not in fact directly contribute as much to his team’s success as that group does. He probably will never be a guy who throws for 350 yards a game regularly. He’ll probably never lead the league in TD passes, and hell, he may never even break the Eagles’ single-season record for TD passes at 33. Week to week, his performances may vary more than the regular season statistic warlord QBs of the NFL. Jalen will probably never be in the statistical anomaly section of NFL QBs amongst his current QB compatriots or all time, for that matter. He doesn’t have to be, though. He just needs to be Jalen Hurts.
A calm, cool, clutch Jordan Brand athlete who has had success follow him since he was 13 years old through hard work and incredible leadership. A guy who has spearheaded a play, in the Tush Push, that has been so successful, the NFL is working hard to ban it. He is an advantageous High-End starter who elevates his game to Elite status in the biggest of moments. Arguably, the two best games he has played on the professional level were the two Super Bowls he played in. That is something that cannot be said about Mahomes, Burrow, Allen, or Lamar. The latter two have yet to even make one. If you’re not from Philly, it is okay to admit you were wrong about Jalen. If you are from Philly, you should probably just enjoy what is in front of you. The Eagles have THEIR Elite QB, and that is all they need.
