Jalen Hurts is the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles are putting their complete confidence in him, so much so that they traded Carson Wentz away to eliminate the possibility of a quarterback controversy.
Hurts will be entering the second year of his NFL career; the spotlight and love/hate relationship with the Philadelphia media and fanbase is now all his.
Can’t wait to see how @JalenHurts follows up his rookie season! pic.twitter.com/uTTHSoCpKR
— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2021
Who Is Jalen Hurts?
Hurts started his college career at Alabama and transferred to Oklahoma for his senior season.
He was drafted in the second round (53rd overall) by the Eagles in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Some say that is when Carson Wentz’s troubles began.
He had just signed a long-term deal with the Eagles, and the team devoted an early round pick to Hurts.
Hurts started 4 games in the 2020 season.
His record was 1-3.
Hurts threw for 1,061 yards and 6 touchdowns.
He tossed 4 interceptions.
Hurts also rushed for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Most rushing yards among rookie QBs this season:
1. Jalen Hurts – 349
2. Justin Herbert – 234
3. Joe Burrow – 142
4. Tua Tagovailoa – 109 pic.twitter.com/pe8KZNyuoP— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) February 27, 2021
Will He Succeed?
No one knows for sure.
The era of the mobile quarterback is definitely upon us so Hurts’ skill set is desirable.
He can scramble and make big plays with both his arm and legs.
🆕Loved @MikeClayNFL's Jalen Hurts thread this week so we put that into video form 👇👇 pic.twitter.com/diMvcV8Nsz
— The Breakout (@BreakoutDynasty) February 24, 2021
Hurts needs some help to do well in Philly.
Even though Carson Wentz was obviously having an off season in 2020, some of the issues were not his fault.
The Eagles have an aging team and a porous offensive line.
Hurts needs protection at the line of scrimmage.
He also needs a logical playbook to work with.
The Eagles were not mixing it up well last year.
A smart assortment of run and pass plays that can help a young quarterback get comfortable and ultimately succeed are what Hurts needs in 2021.
Of course, a few offensive weapons would not hurt the cause either.
What Can Eagles Fans Expect?
Philadelphia Eagles fans have the least amount of patience in the NFL.
Their team was Super Bowl Champions just 3 years ago and have taken a deep dive in the wrong direction.
The expectation for Hurts and the new coaching staff will be to right the ship quickly.
Young Quarterbacks Have More Pressure
Hurts is only 22 years old.
Gone are the days when the young quarterback wore the headset and carried the clipboard during the games in an effort to learn from the more experienced starter.
They are now thrust into the limelight and the game quickly.
There does not seem to be growth and maturity time or any learning curve.
NFL teams move on as quickly as they start with these young players.
While Jalen Hurts has the skill set needed to be a successful quarterback, the Eagles need to do their part to give him a supporting cast and smart playbook.
They also need to give him a little time to develop; young quarterbacks make bad decisions and throw interceptions.
Both the Eagles and their fans have to be prepared for that part of Hurts’ development too.
Leave a Reply