Getty Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
As the Dallas Cowboys prepare for 2023, one Hall of Famer wants the team’s fans to think differently about the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles are clashing with the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, marking the NFC East franchise’s second trip to the contest in the past six seasons. For Pro Football Hall of Famer and Cowboys icon Emmitt Smith, he has nothing but respect for Philly and, more specifically, quarterback Jalen Hurts.
In a February 8 interview with NBC10 in Philadelphia, Smith spoke candidly about Hurts, a former Oklahoma and Alabama star.
“I love him. He’s a proven champion,” Smith said. “They have a great chance of winning [against the Chiefs] and he is the reason why they will win.”
When asked a follow-up question on how Cowboys fans might feel about his complimentary words toward Hurts, Smith dropped a blunt response.
“Can’t say nothing,” Emmitt said. “Can’t say nothing. Keep your mouth closed.”
For a rivalry as storied and intense as the Cowboys-Eagles conflict is, Smith’s comments may come as a surprise. However, few players in NFL history have had the success has had.
Dak Prescott Picks Against Philadelphia
Smith may be riding with the Eagles, but Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott can’t bring himself to root for Philadelphia, despite having some connection to some of the franchise’s team members.
“I got a few college teammates, even a college coach that’s over in Philly. But I don’t know if I can root for an NFC East team to win,” Prescott said during a February 9 NFL Network interview, a clip of which was tweeted by Yahoo’s Jori Epstein. “So unfortunately for those guys I care about, I hope they have a great game. [But] I’m going with the AFC to win this one.”
Prescott was referring to Eagles corner Darius Slay and defensive end Fletcher Cox, two stars who make up key parts of the Philadelphia defense. It’s a tough spot for Prescott to show support for his former teammates at Mississippi State but also stay true to his loyalty to Dallas.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys QB had an eventful Super Bowl week because he was named the winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Prescott became the fourth Cowboys player to win the award, after former players Roger Staubach (1978) Troy Aikman (1997) and Jason Witten (2012).
Cowboys & Eagles Split in 2022
With the Eagles winning the NFC East and the NFC championship, there’s no question which team between the Eagles and Cowboys had the more successful season. That being said, Dallas can hold to the fact that they split contests with their rivals.
But what made the 2022 clashes between the Eagles and the Cowboys unique was that both teams were missing their starting quarterbacks for one contest. In Dallas’ loss in Week 6, Prescott was recovering from a thumb injury and Hurts started. When Dallas beat Philly in Week 16, Hurts was recovering and Prescott was back in the saddle.
Considering the two teams went a combined 26-8 over the course of the regular season, the nature of the teams’ two divisional battles is a bit bizarre. Neither fan bases nor the neutral viewer got to see the NFC East rivals square off at full strength.