An unflattering new report blames quarterback Jalen Hurts for many of the issues that have plagued the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense over the past few years.
Tim McManus and Jeremy Fowler dug into the tension between Hurts and the Eagles in a new story, which suggested the quarterback has a significant hand in the issues the team has faced. Hurts is said to be resistant to change that would diversify the scheme, including playing under center more. He has shown a reluctance to really let it rip, and the Eagles have catered to him by playing to his strengths and subsequently limiting how diverse the offense can be.
Hurts’ quiet determination also has not always had the impact on his teammates that it is meant to have.
“Poor body language, not always bought in, not the most coachable and the players notice,” a team source told McManus and Fowler.
Hurts has been resistant to changes previous offensive coordinators have made, including when Kellen Moore tried to add more motions and shifts. Hurts also fights efforts to get him to play more under center, as he doesn’t like to “turn his back on the defense” and limit his ability to process coverages.
In addition to all this, Hurts has a level of freedom to change plays that some in the building call “excessive.” One source even said players “never know” what play they will run coming out of the huddle because of Hurts’ penchant for changing things.
Hurts is presented as talented, but resistant to change and set in his ways, even when those ways are not working. This is similar to previous reports, which claimed the Eagles were somewhat disenchanted with Hurts and were accused of catering to his preferences too much. Giving Hurts the reins has created some issues with the rest of the offense, particularly with AJ Brown, who was vocal about his frustration with that unit last season.
Whatever issues exist behind the scenes, Hurts still threw for 3,224 yards last season with 25 touchdowns and was runner-up in MVP voting in 2022. The team is certainly not getting rid of him anytime soon, but it sounds like a better balance needs to be struck between what Hurts wants and what is actually best for the offense’s performance.
