Eagles 2025 Position Previews: Jalen Hurts & Quarterbacks

Training camp passed relatively quietly for the Super Bowl LIX champions. The media didn’t flock to see a wide receiver doing sit-ups in his driveway or fixate on a franchise quarterback returning to full health to overtake his Super Bowl MVP backup.

Instead, an inordinate amount of Philadelphia Eagles conversations were about where Jalen Hurts ranks among the NFL’s top quarterbacks entering the 2025 season.

Whether national or local, fair or unfair, attention-seeking or genuine, storylines surrounding the fifth-year starter will include his isolated impact on a Philadelphia offense loaded with playmakers and top-tier talent. However, the conversations inside the NovaCare Complex will likely have more to do with an effective quarterback who smoothly fits his team’s needs with a high ceiling for electric performances, especially when it matters most.

The Eagles won their second Super Bowl in franchise history after the 2024 season. Hurts lifted the majestic Pete Rozelle Trophy as the game’s MVP after piling up 293 yards of total offense and two touchdowns. Not a soul in Philadelphia spoke a negative word about the embattled college star turned second-round pick turned franchise quarterback.

Results shape perception, however. The Eagles failed to maximize their talent in the passing game for most of Kellen Moore’s only season as the offensive coordinator in 2024. They finished 29th in passing offense despite two exceptional wide receivers and a starting quarterback with a $51 million salary. An offensive line commonly called the best in football finished tied for the second highest sack rate allowed in the NFL at 9.1%.

Hurts and the Eagles struggled to develop rhythm in the passing game during the regular season before the Lombardi Trophy drew everyone’s eyes away from their shortcomings.

Expected Points Added (EPA) and Quarterback Rating (QBR) measure performance by determining a league average gain for each play. The stats decide success or failure based on that average and assign a positive or negative value.

Hurts finished 19th among NFL quarterbacks in total passing EPA. The offense’s second-ranked rushing attack covered the weaknesses and led them to the seventh-highest points per game average.

Saquon Barkley and a unit of excellent run blockers overpowered opposing defenses, but Hurts was an integral part of the rushing attack too. His athleticism created a threat in the RPO game that very few NFL quarterbacks bring, helping him finish third in rushing EPA. 

He also finished third among quarterbacks behind only Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels with 630 rushing yards. His unique role in the hated “Tush Push” boosted the offense’s short-yardage conversions and red zone percentage.

Underwhelming passing numbers in nine consecutive victories from Week 6-14 drove some analysts to label Hurts a “game manager” with a negative connotation.

The passing game exploded for style points in an impressive win against the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 15 at Lincoln Financial Field. 

The passing and rushing offense soon synergized during the postseason. Hurts led the way with his knack for making plays to sway the course of important games. His 44-yard scamper against the Los Angeles Rams set the tone for a dominant day on the ground. His gutsy fourth-down throw to A.J. Brown for a 31-yard conversion in the second quarter of the NFC Championship Game separated the Eagles with a cushion they never handed back.

Hurts’ deep ball to DeVonta Smith in Super Bowl LIX will stick in fans’ memories forever for helping the Eagles to a 34-0 lead.

Two Super Bowl appearances and six postseason victories are enough to prove Hurts as a quarterback that appropriately fits his team’s needs. His ability to execute with star performances – especially in big moments – has also kept the Eagles in consistent contention.

Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, or Josh Allen might have a higher isolated impact on their respective teams’ success. That unimportant reality would only weaken the Eagles, hypothetically, if they didn’t have an impressive group of offensive playmakers.

A Lombardi Trophy takes some of the pressure off at an MVP level competing with some of the superstar AFC quarterbacks, even though the Eagles don’t want to acknowledge it. Howie Roseman kept the same strong cast of weapons and stout offensive line around Hurts. What could go wrong in a seemingly excellent spot for a quarterback who feeds off his unit’s overall dynamic?

Kevin Patullo replaced Moore as the offensive coordinator. Hurts has already worked with Patullo, in close tandem with Nick Sirianni, throughout most of his NFL career. Patullo will become the sixth different coach to call plays for the sixth-year quarterback.

While Hurts has adjusted well to new challenges with gradual progress, he also struggled in 2023 with an awkward mix of input from Sirianni and former offensive coordinator Brian Johnson.

Saquon Barkley almost certainly won’t replicate one the best seasons on the ground ever with the perfect storm of health, rejuvenation, and blocking in front of him. The Eagles might lean on the passing game more often in 2025.

Will Hurts adjust to changes more effectively than he did during an overall disappointing season after a Super Bowl appearance in 2023?

He’s already shown a high ceiling with the ability to carry an offense in the running game and passing game. The track record separates him from the negative game manager label of quarterbacks without significant isolated impact on a Super Bowl contender.

The regularity of those electrifying performances and the pressure put on the passing attack will more importantly shape offensive efficiency for the 2025 Eagles.

Tanner McKee flashed during two regular season games in 2024. The 6-foot-6 signal-caller threw for four touchdowns and one interception in limited action while the Eagles wound down their push in the NFC standings. He only raised his stock as a backup to Jalen Hurts during a strong 2025 preseason.

A difficult preseason for sixth-round rookie Kyle McCord pushed Roseman to flip late-round draft capital for Sam Howell.

Philadelphia saw the best of Howell in stunningly proficient performances against the Eagles in 2023. If the Eagles develop confidence in the former fifth-round pick, Howie Roseman might shop McKee on the trade market.

Any in-season trade is unlikely considering the high priority the franchise has placed on backup quarterbacks through the past decade.

All advanced stats courtesy of  NFL Next Gen and Pro Football Reference