Skip to Search Skip to Live Player Skip to Content Skip to Footer

Eagles

Eagles

Eagles

Jalen Hurts Could Have An Even Higher Level to His Game

Placeholder Shilloutte User Image
Author and Dylan MacKinnon
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 12: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.

The leap Jalen Hurts took last year was unprecedented. He went from a guy who at times struggled to make throws in 2021, to being one of the best QBS in the league last year. And not just because of his running ability. A lot of the stats show he was one of the best QBs throwing from the pocket and throwing the ball deep. And we saw that in the Super Bowl where he went toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes. While Hurts’ team lost, we saw he was more than capable of keeping up with the best QB in the league.

But could we see another leap forward this season? Is it even possible for him to get even better than he was? Early indications in Eagles OTAs suggest he may be able to get even better.

Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever earlier this week. He spoke to us about what he has seen out of Jalen Hurts so far. And while it is of course just practice, and it is still early, there are some things he is seeing from Hurts that had Tim McManus thinking that there may be another level Hurts can reach.

Firstly, he spoke about how Hurts looked even more impressive physically.

“A couple of things stood out to me about Hurts, just watching him move. One is he added a little bit more mass to his upper body. His arms in particular looked a little bit more cut and a little bit more bigger. The ball seemed to be jumping out of his hands more than I have seen in years past.”

But beyond just looking bigger, he also brought up something that his teammates on defense were noticing about Hurts making even smarter decisions on the field than he was last year.

“Some of the newcomers like Terrell Edmunds were talking about how there are anticipation throws he is making that stand out. they say you have to be on your Ps and Qs to understand what his intentions are. He is really good with his eye discipline in terms of looking off of safeties. Has a good understanding of what he is seeing from  the defense. And he is anticipating and getting the ball out very fast.”

It is crazy to think Hurts could be better. But it also kind of makes sense. One thing we know for sure about Hurts is that dude will work his ass off. It stood out last year with how much he improved. But why wouldn’t he work just as hard as he did last year in this offseason? We may have all been satisfied with how good he was last year. But Hurts does not seem like the type of guy who will ever be satisfied. There is always something he wants to improve.

Again, it is just practice. But this is the same type of talk we were hearing at this point last year. As we know, that turned out to be true. So don’t be surprised if this type of talk turns out to be true yet again.

You can listen to the full conversation with Tim McManus below:

The 6 Performances That Show Jalen Hurts is Worth Every Penny

Jalen Hurts is going to be the Eagles’ Qb for a while. Coming off his MVP-caliber season, he signed a 5-year extension, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. While that is a title that may not last long, considering Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert are also in line for new contracts, it puts him in that top tier of QBs, which is exactly where he belongs. As expensive as he will be going forward, Jalen Hurts is worth every penny.

Hurts was the runner-up MVP. You could argue he played even better than the Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. The Eagles lost just two games he played in last season. Yes, one of those was the Super Bowl, but it is hard to blame him for that given how well he played. And contrary to what some people say, he is not just a running QB. He developed into a hell of a pocket QB, with a QB rating over 100 in the pocket last season. Hurts threw 22 TDs with just 6 interceptions playing in the pocket last season. Yes, he can kill you with his legs. But he is just as capable of killing teams with his arm too.

And off the field, it is hard to find a player more beloved than him. AJ Brown came out in the offseason and said if the Eagles didn’t pay Hurts, he would follow him wherever he goes. Ndamukong Suh went on the Rich Eisen show to gush about Hurts. You won’t find a single guy Hurts plays with who has anything short of glowing praise.

Jalen Hurts is a star. And as much as this deal will cost, he is worth it. In case you forgot that fact, let’s look back at some of his best performances from this past year.

Here are the 5 performances from last season that show Jalen Hurts is worth every penny…

  • Superbowl LVII- Hurts Goes Toe to Toe with Patrick Mahomes 

    Yes, the Eagles lost the Super Bowl. But it was not because of Jalen Hurts. He turned in what may be the best performance by the losing QB in Super Bowl history. 304 yards through the air, 70 on the ground, and 4 total TDs. He had an answer for everything the Chiefs did. When the Eagles trailed by 8 late in the game, he went down, rushed for a TD, then tied it up with a 2pt conversion. And maybe if his defense got a single stop and gave him a chance with time at the end of the game, he may have done it again for the win. 

    Alas, that did not happen. The defense couldn’t get off the field. By the time Hurts got the ball back, it was with no time to do anything but a trick play. Still, he did everything in his power to win that game. Even after his fumble that went the other way for a TD, he came right back to get those points back for the Eagles. 

  • 12/4- Hurts Throws it All Over the Titans 

    Hurts is a dynamic threat with his legs. But it is a discredit to him to talk about him as a running QB. Because he can be just as much of a threat with his arms. For proof of that, look no further than his performance vs the Titans. 380 passing yards, and 3 TDS. Two of those went to AJ Brown, and the other to Devonta Smith. Both of whom went for over 100 receiving yards.  

    While having two dynamic WRs like Brown and Smith helps, they benefit from Hurts just as much. A great play needs both a great catch and a great throw. And that is what we saw on this connection in this game between Hurts and Brown.  

  • 11/27- Hurts Runs All Over the Packers 

    Of course, when Hurts does want to run, he can do so like an elite RB. When he faced the Packers, they thought they would throw him off by blitzing with man coverage. So Hurts just decided to run all over them. 157 yards on the ground in total. His passing numbers in this game did not jump off the charts. But they didn’t need to. The great thing about Hurts is that he can beat you in so many different ways. If you sell out to stop the run as the Titans did, he will shred you through the air. And if you don’t, like the Packers did, he will do this to you. 

  • 10/30- Hurts Finds AJ Brown Deep 3 Times 

    If you liked that connection between Hurts and Brown in the Titans game, it happened 3 times vs the Steelers. Hurts had a way all year of throwing the deep ball to the exact right spot where only AJ Brown could make a play on it. That was on full display vs the Steelers. Hurts threw for 4 TDs, 3 on deep balls to Brown, and 285 total yards. It was another example of a game where Hurts didn’t even need his legs to make the other team pay. His arm did all the talking on this day. 

  • 9/25- Hurts Outduels Wentz To Show Eagles Made the Right Choice 

    At one point, Carson Wentz was the answer for the Eagles at QB. It did not work out. The Eagles drafted Hurts, and by the next season, he had taken Wentz’s job, and Wentz was traded. A year after that, Wentz was on another new team and was facing off with Jalen Hurts. Hurts won that battle easily. While the Eagles’ pass rush tormented Wentz, Hurts tormented the Commander’s secondary. 340 yards, 3 TDs, on the way to a 24-8 win. And most of the damage was in the first half before the Eagles took their foot off the gas.  

  • 9/19- Hurts Declares Himself as a Star in Week 2 vs the Vikings 

    Hurts’ looked good in week 1. But it was not quite enough to answer questions people had of him coming into the season. His week 2 performance vs the Vikings did just that though. By the end of the Vikings game, he had thrown for 333 yards, 300 of which came in the first half, and put together some tough runs, to help carry the Eagles to a 24-7 win over the Vikings. All on Prime Time. It was Hurts announcing to the league that he was not the same QB they saw last season. A promise he kept up all season through the Super Bowl.  

Tyrone Johnson is the host of “The Best Show Ever” on 97.5 The Fanatic. He has been with the station for the past 8 years. Before working at the Fanatic, Tyrone produced political radio, did financial reports, and was assistant chief engineer of another radio station. As a content creator for 97.5 The Fanatic, Tyrone writes articles on the Sixers, Eagles, Phillies, and Flyers.

Sign Up For The Fanatic MVP Insider Newsletter

Get the info you need on the Philly Sports landscape, events you need to know about, exclusive contests, and more.

*
By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.
Placeholder Shilloutte User Image
Author and Dylan MacKinnon
Category:
Tags:
,,,

More Eagles // NFL

Load More