PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — He has poor vision. His ability to read defenses is subpar. The arm just isn’t there. These are only some of the criticisms said about Jalen Hurts before his draft in 2020. But instead of arguing with those who doubted him, the current face of the Philadelphia Eagles decided to let his play prove them wrong.
For the second time in the last decade, the Eagles’ brain trust — owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman — have found themselves shelling out the big bucks to a quarterback they say will bring them back to the top of the league.
But, what sets Hurts apart from his predecessor, Carson Wentz, who the team also signed to a large contract in 2019?
During his rookie season, Hurts found himself competing for his first starting job against the then-tenured quarterback in Wentz. While the team struggled throughout the first three quarters of the season, Wentz inevitably lost his job to Hurts, who took over in Week 13 of the 2020 season and never looked back.
“It was done. It was over,” former Eagles assistant coach Marty Morhinweg told The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane during a new episode of "unCovering the Birds." Mornhinweg served as a senior offensive consultant with the team when it drafted Hurts.
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“Jalen took advantage of his opportunity and sort of proved, I thought, in his rookie year that he could end up being a franchise-type quarterback. And that’s exactly what happened.”
Wentz, who positioned the Eagles for a Super Bowl run in 2017, ultimately left the Eagles via a trade. But was it a disservice to Wentz that the team — less than three years later — drafted Hurts behind him?
“That’s the biggest bunch of bull [expletive] I’ve ever heard,” Mornhinweg said.
Looking at last season, which saw Hurts earn MVP chatter and ended in a Super Bowl appearance, no one seems to be doubting the team’s decision anymore, especially management.
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While some might say that the added pressure of a mega deal like Hurts’ new five-year, $225 million contract extension can affect a player, Mornhinweg sees the opposite, saying that Hurts and the Eagles are now positioned to start making waves.
“There’s no ceiling for Jalen Hurts. … I would expect his wins to be sky-high. I would expect him to win a couple of Super Bowls and expect him to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” he said. “I would set the expectations very high and never adjust them for Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles.”
Listen to Episode 9: Face of the Franchise
New episodes of “unCovering the Birds” drop every Friday. Listen in the Audacy app or wherever you get your podcasts. “unCovering the Birds” is sponsored by Wawa.
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