Nick Sirianni sends clear message about Jalen Hurts’ role
Dec 20, 2020; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni does not sound like he’s planning to change how he uses Jalen Hurts after the quarterback signed a huge contract extension.
Sirianni was asked Thursday if he plans to adjust how he uses Hurts in light of the quarterback’s $255 million contract extension. The Eagles coach was clear, however, that there would not be any new restrictions on Hurts to try and protect the quarterback from injury.
Sirianni on if he'll adjust how Hurts plays: "We didn't pay him more to do less. …We still think about how to protect him because that's our job to protect our quarterback. But Jalen does a lot of things really well and we want to utilize the skills that he has."
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) April 20, 2023
“Jalen does a lot of things really well and we want to utilize the skills that he has,” Sirianni said.
In other words, do not expect to see Hurts running less or taking fewer hits solely because of his new deal. That probably means that we won’t see the Eagles dialing back the famous quarterback sneak that was an almost guaranteed first down in short yardage situations.
Hurts rushed for 760 yards on 165 attempts in 2022, scoring 13 rushing touchdowns. Those numbers apparently will not be changing.
