Keeping Jalen Hurt As Starting Quarterback: Pros And Cons
Updated: Jun 30, 2023
The Philadelphia Eagles enter 2022 hoping to improve from their surprising 2021 season. One of their biggest question marks is whether or not Jalen Hurts can take the next step in his development.
Hurts and the Eagles had a decent season in 2021 but winning a playoff game should be the new goal. Can Jalen Hurts accomplish this or should the Eagles upgrade? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of keeping Hurts as the starter:
Pros
Jalen Hurts had a winning record as a starter in 2021. He went 8-7, passed for over 3,000 yards, and ran for nearly 800 yards. Hurts is a dual threat quarterback, which makes him hard to defend and gameplan against.
He improved upon his rookie year where he went just 1-3 as a starter. In 2021, the Eagles started the season just 2-5 but went 7-2 over their next 9 games. This shows they have ways to win with Hurts. This was particularly true after the Eagles transitioned to a run-first approach and were able to control opposing defenses a lot more.
Keeping Jalen Hurts as starter would allow the Eagles to focus elsewhere as they look to improve their roster. They have three first-round picks that they can use to build up the team around him.
A second wide receiver opposite Devonta Smith would upgrade the offense immediately and immensely. The Eagles could also add depth to the offensive line. Keeping Hurts would allow the Eagles to use their draft picks and salary space to upgrade offensive and defensive positions. Having more skilled players should make Hurts better.
Jalen Hurts has a lot of potential. He had only four losses during his college career playing for Alabama and Oklahoma. His NFL.com Draft Profile listed his leadership qualities, toughness, and durability as strengths, all of which have already been proven true.
Hurts is also very athletic and can extend plays. He wants to put the team on his back and give it his all. It is hard to teach a player these qualities and he already has them.
Cons
A lot of people look at Jalen Hurts as the temporary starter until they find a true franchise quarterback. Carson Wentz did not turn out how the Eagles had hoped, so the Eagles turned to Hurts. While he had a decent season in 2021, there are weaknesses that must be addressed.
Jalen Hurts struggles with accuracy. He completed just 61% of his passes this season and only 52% during his 2020 rookie season. This means more three-and-outs and punting right back to the other team.
Hurts can run the ball effectively but also fumbles too often. He had nine fumbles in 2021 with two being lost, but a quarterback has to play mistake-free to win games.
Another weakness of Jalen Hurts is that he did not beat a single playoff team in 2021. Hurts really struggled against good teams this past season. He had an especially poor game in the playoffs against the Buccaneers. How will the Eagles take the next step if they can’t beat the top teams in the NFC? Once a defense stopped the run, Hurts was not able to make the throws to get the offense moving.
The Eagles might choose to upgrade from Jalen Hurts because there could be multiple proven quarterbacks available this offseason. It is rare for a star quarterback to change teams, but there could be several on the move this year.
Guys like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Deshaun Watson could want fresh starts. The Eagles would be foolish to not at least consider upgrading. They have a lot of draft picks this year to possibly make a huge trade. An elite quarterback has the potential to make the Eagles considerably better.
Conclusion
Jalen Hurts is an average quarterback at this point but deserves time to develop. He’s a great leader and wants to win. The Eagles could use the offseason to build around him and make him better.
The team could also use their draft capital to make a trade for a more proven veteran. However, doing this could cost the Eagles the ability to improve in other areas.
That said, quarterback is the most important position in football. It will be very interesting to see if the Eagles stick with Jalen Hurts or look to upgrade in the 2022 offseason.