When you’re paying somebody $51 million per year – think about that number for a minute – you don’t want to have any doubt in your mind that he’s the right guy.
And despite Jalen Hurts’ regression in 2023, despite the Eagles’ 2nd-half collapse, Jeff Lurie has no doubt in his mind Hurts is the right guy to take the Eagles where they want to go.
Lurie spoke glowingly about Hurts Tuesday at the owners meetings in what could very well be his only media availability in 2024.
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“Jalen Hurts, outstanding young quarterback, outstanding young person,” Lurie told reporters at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Fla.
“OK, Jalen Hurts, let's take an objective appreciation of this young man: The year before, co-MVP candidate, I think he ended up No. 2 in the National Football League. You could argue that with one more chance for the ball at the end of the Super Bowl, he was the Super Bowl MVP.
“Then we go into this year, and we're 10-1 and I think I remember reading about the odds of (him) being MVP this year, I think Jalen was leading the way for one of the top two.
“That's Jalen's last two seasons, 25 years old, leading this team.”
Philadelphia Eagles
Hurts in 2023 threw touchdowns less frequently – one every 21 pass attempts in 2022, one every 23 in 2023 – and interceptions way more frequently – one every 77 attempts in 2022 and one every 36 passes this past year.
His completion percentage dropped a bit – 66.5 percent to 65.4 percent – and his yards per attempt dropped as well – from 8.0 yards per pass to 7.2.
He plummeted from 3rd in the NFL in passer rating at 101.5 to 17th at 89.1.
But he did rush for 15 touchdowns, tying Josh Allen for the NFL record for quarterbacks, and his 38 total TDs – passing plus rushing – were second-most in the NFL to Allen’s 44.
Like everybody else on the team, his performance dropped off drastically late in the season. The first 11 weeks of the season, with the Eagles 10-1, he had 18 TDs, 10 INTs and a 94.9 rating. The last seven games, including the playoff loss to Tampa, he had six TDs and five INTs and a 81.4 rating.
“He - and all of us - wish the final five or six games were a lot better,” Lurie said. “It's a team sport. And there's so many factors that go into it. You know, you can go on and on and on.
“But we've got a major star, 25-year-old mature young man who has every skill set that you'd want, and he's a superb person, excellent leader, and he's authentic, and I really respect that.”
Lurie pointed out that before the Eagles finished the season with six losses in seven games – including the postseason – Hurts was 31-4 in his 34 previous starts – 5-1 to finish 2022, 14-1 in the 2022 regular season and 2-1 in the playoffs and then 10-1 to open last year. Lurie also spoke very strongly about Hurts’ personality and addressed the criticism he’s gotten for not being “fiery” enough:
Add it all up and Lurie couldn’t be happier that not only is Hurts the Eagles’ quarterback but that he’s got five years left on the five-year, $255 million contract he signed last April.
That's $3 million per game, in case you didn't do the math.
“This is, as an owner of the team, this is exactly what you want.”