Getty Jalen Hurts of the Oklahoma Sooners
The Eagles’ quarterback factory keeps growing by the day. Time to assign individual roles.
With Nate Sudfeld assumed to be the backup behind Carson Wentz, the next question is what kind of impact are rookie Jalen Hurts and veteran Josh McCown going to make on the quarterbacks room. More specifically, where do they fit into the gameplan? For McCown, it seems rather simple: the novel coronavirus will dictate when and if he sees the field in 2020.
He was signed to the practice squad as the ultimate emergency/quarantine insurance policy, a 41-year-old journeyman with 17 years of NFL experience. And a burning desire to coach professional football. According to head coach Doug Pederson, McCown’s role is ever-evolving.
“With the new practice squad rules and being in a pandemic, being in a situation that’s a little not normal from a season standpoint and players, it just made sense to have a guy that we’re familiar with,” Pederson told reporters. “He’s played on this team. He knows our team. He knows our system, that we can keep on practice squad and keep him plugged in, and we’re going to continue to work out the details of his week here in the next few days.”
Wentz, who gave himself a clean bill of health for Week 1, revealed how excited he was to have McCown back on the team. While he’ll be living in Texas and practicing “virtually” this season, it’s better than not having access to his wisdom. He’s already become a mentor to Wentz and the whole Eagles team.
“To what level he’s engaged, we’ll kind of wait and see as we go,” Wentz said. “But I’m pretty proud of him for also setting another record for being the oldest practice squad player. He just keeps setting new records. It’s always good to have him around and we’ll see how it unfolds this season.”
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Hurts Might See Package of Plays in Week 1
When the Eagles took Hurts in the second round, the common assumption is that the dual-threat quarterback would see snaps as a gadget-play specialist. He could take on the “Taysom Hill on steroids” role and spice it up by “getting freaky” in the open field.
This exchange between Jalen Hurts and Steve Mariucci. 😂
Hurts: “Being able to use my athleticism in the pocket, when needed, and get freaky in the open field when I have to as well.”
Mariucci: “Excuse me? Get freaky?”
Hurts proved to be a lethal asset in the red zone during camp and showcased a cannon for an arm, something not everyone was expecting to see. The Eagles would have to keep three quarterbacks active on gameday to get Hurts in the game — assuming Sudfeld is indeed the backup in Week 1 — but don’t bet against that from happening. The coaching staff is in love with his athleticism and potential.
“Jalen is still learning. Jalen, he’s done some really good things for us,” Pederson said on Aug. 20. “Again, like I mentioned, he’s learning our system, and he’s another one, one of our young players that’s learning the game a little bit. He’s got some athleticism. We’ve seen that in practice.”
Good news for new @Eagles QB Jalen Hurts: He already has the “Philly Special” down 👍
It’d be shocking not to see Hurts have a limited package of plays, maybe three to five per game. They could line him up all over the formation or keep him under center to keep the defense guessing on RPOs (run-pass option). He’s the ultimate wild card, and a poker hand Pederson wasn’t willing to show when asked on Monday.
“You’re right. I can’t share that,” Pederson told a reporter about Hurts’ role.
#Eagles HC Doug Pederson wasn’t about to reveal Jalen Hurts’ role in Week 1. Will he have one? What will it be?
“You’re right. I can’t share that,” Pederson said when asked. about it.
Personally, I think it’s a package of 3 plays. They love this kid. Electric in a bottle.
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