In the middle of the 2024 NFL offseason, discourse around specific teams and players can get a little bit out of whack. Right now, we are seeing some of that with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
A lot of people are questioning Hurts after his rather underwhelming season in 2023—fair enough. However, the 25-year-old is nonetheless one of the premier players at his position and gives the Eagles Super Bowl upside both now and in the future. Really, he has nothing to prove in 2024—he is the same superstar athlete that we have seen since he first became the starter.
2023 Hurts Could Still Win You a Super Bowl
There’s no point in debating that Hurts was actually great in 2023 because got put in a worse situation than he was when he went to the Super Bowl in 2022. While that last part is true, something that we can agree on is that there was some noticeable regression for the young quarterback. But how much of an issue is that, really?
There’s some validity to the point that the Eagles, as a whole, played worse in 2023. Their coaching was stale, the defense was incredibly inconsistent, and Hurts was not at his best. And it’s not like we realized this late—it was apparent very early. By the end of the season, Philadelphia’s inconsistencies all came together to form a disaster of a run toward the end of the year.
Even with all of those factors, the Eagles were still a really good team in 2023. They had the best record in the NFL over halfway through the season and looked poised to take the top seed in the NFC. Ending up playing a road game in the wildcard round in the end was ultimately a far cry from that, but it’s easy to forget just how much they were winning.
With that in mind, the Eagles will be better as an actual team in 2024. GM Howie Roseman made splashes in the offseason, most notably acquiring Saquon Barkley to be their lead running back and also boosting their secondary with several pieces. Coaches were fired, the roster was changed, the schedule got easier, and youth was brought in. Losing Jason Kelce is a stinger, sure, but the team is objectively better on paper.
In a better environment, Hurts should be better. But let’s assume that he is the same player that he was in 2023, even though that seems somewhat unlikely. With the team around him seeming poised to improve, even his 2023 self would be enough to make Philadelphia one of the best teams in the league once again.
The Eagles are simply too talented to not be a great team. With one of the best rosters in the NFL, even a quarterback who was so bad that he only put up 4,463 total yards, a 65.4 completion percentage, and scored 38 touchdowns to 15 interceptions with the fourth-best expected points average (EPA) in the league could get them to the promised land.
When Hurts is still one of the best quarterbacks in football at his worst, what are we even complaining about? Having him under center with this current rendition of the Eagles should still be good enough to win.
Hurts’ Locker Room Issues Are Overblown
Some people are worried that Hurts is losing the locker room, much like what happened with Carson Wentz. Perhaps there is some truth to this, but one thing should be apparent: nobody is having a fun time when they are losing. At some point, even the closest teams have their internal issues. It’s natural, and a big part of brotherhood. But to say that Hurts has completely lost his locker room mainly because the team was losing at the end of the season and he can’t win it back is unnecessarily pessimistic.
We have seen a bond between the Eagles both on and off of the field since their major core was formed. There was a spark present, and it was truly wonderful to see. That sort of magic can do wonders for a team so that much shouldn’t be dismissed. But that spark, even with the Birds’ issues last season, is still there—adding to it couldn’t hurt, though. It’s likely part of the reason why Roseman brought a player like C.J. Gardner-Johnson back in free agency. At the end of the day, culture is important.
The Eagles have culture, and that much won’t go away. As long as they are winning consistently—which seems pretty likely—then there is nothing to worry about. The “He has lost the room,” discussions got stale with Wentz really quick, and they have already gotten so with Hurts. At the very least, he needs some time to disprove these narratives before we run away with them.
Having a franchise quarterback is both a blessing and a curse. No matter how good they are, some people will always want more—it’s only natural. But, at this point in the summer, we need to slow down a little bit. Hurts is elite, and we should wait until he proves otherwise to properly judge him.
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