Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie had some interesting comments on whether star quarterback Jalen Hurts needs to make any changes moving forward after a mediocre end to 2023.
Lurie said the only thing he wants Hurts to do going forward is to make sure he remains “authentic.” Lurie was dismissive of those who felt Hurts was not demonstrative enough as the Eagles lost repeatedly down the stretch.
“The thing with Jalen, I want him to be authentic,” Lurie said Tuesday, via Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports. “That’s what he is. It’s the worst thing to be 24, 25 and to try to be something. Be authentic as he is. He’s an excellent, excellent example.
“You know there’s times where stoicism, when we were 10-1 people said, ‘oh, it’s because of Jalen’s stoicism and calm under the storm that we’re 10-1 in all those close games.’ And then lose a few, and, ah, maybe he’s not as demonstrative or whatever.”
Lurie added that he sees Hurts as an “excellent leader” who will continue to adapt to the ups and downs of the league.
“He will adjust to that and lead the way because he’s really respected for being who he is, and that’s — you have a 25-year-old player, I think you want to reinforce who they are, not try to mold them into somebody they’re not. He’s an exceptional leader,” Lurie said.
Hurts definitely demonstrated an ability to remain even-keeled even as the Eagles struggled down the stretch in 2023. However, there were certainly moments where he was willing to publicly call out his teammates in rather blunt terms.
Like the rest of the team, Hurts did attract some criticism for the way he performed down the stretch. Lurie obviously does not want to see that criticism push Hurts to be something he is not.
