Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is the No. 1 choice for NFL MVP right now, according to Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins. The legendary safety didn’t hesitate when asked if Hurts should win the league’s top honor. His total body of work cannot be overstated.
“I don’t see at this point how you could not have him as that,” Dawkins told Heavy. “Obviously there are some games to be played and some other things but his ability to affect the game, not just … some people just want to lean on passing yards, and if it’s just passing yards then obviously it’s Patrick Mahomes, right?
“But if it’s total offense, of how you affect the game with your legs and arm, I don’t see another team that is 11-1, and a lot of it has to do with the way he plays the game. I don’t see how you don’t put him as that, No. 1 right now.”
Brian Dawkins told me he endorses Jalen Hurts for MVP: “I don’t see at this point how you could not have him as that. Obviously, there are some games to be played and some other things … I don’t see how you don’t put him as that, No. 1 right now.” #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly
Editor’s note: Dawkins will be in Philadelphia this weekend for the Army-Navy Game at Lincoln Financial Field and serving as an ambassador for USAA. He and Jason Witten are promoting the Recycled Ride® program and gifting vehicles to those veterans in need of reliable transportation.
The Mindset of a Winner, Unfazed by Adversity
Dawkins went on record with Heavy last August and talked about how much he admired Hurts’ mindset. He was battle-tested in college. He had the mental side conquered. The next step was to develop as a passer, which Hurts continues to do week in and week out. This kid has the mindset of a winner, according to Dawkins — and he laughs in the face of adversity.
“Mindset is one that I loved his mindset,” Dawkins said. “When you’re able to go through and grow through adversity and it doesn’t change your mindset, it does not change your demeanor, you’re able to withstand those things, and still be a competitive dude, not complain about what other people are doing, only concern yourself about what you can get better at.
“And then now we can see he can actually get better. And, again, I saw that going from Alabama to Oklahoma, and you saw that from Year 1 to Year 2. So, you saw that not only does he recognize what some of us may recognize as him getting better but that he’s able to actually go out and do it.”
Alabama’s Jalen Hurts learned how to be cool and calm from his Dad Channelview Head Coach Averion Hurts. @abc13houston @AlabamaFTBL
It all goes back to the way he was raised … by Averion Hurts, a hybrid football coach and proud father.
“The sky is the limit for him if he continues to do it and goes on that progression,” Dawkins said. “But, to me, it all started with that mindset that he and his father, his coach-father, kind of developed in his early life.”
Similarities Between 2017 Eagles & 2022 Eagles
Comparing teams from different years is never a precise chore. Or even a fair one. There are some outlying factors that give each version its own distinct personality. Yet it’s hard not to want to compare the 2017 Eagles with the 2022 Eagles. Jason Kelce cautiously skirted the subject. Ditto for Dawkins, although one thing both squads undeniably have in common is the right culture.
“The greatest similarity you see is, and I know winning can do this, it’s a little bit deeper than that I believe. You see the camaraderie of the guys,” Dawkins told Heavy.com. “There really seems to be a sense of love and care for one another in that locker room. The celebrations and all of those things. When you see that, and you see … once again I just mentioned earlier, when you see young guys step in and immediately have success, that’s a culture that is being built there, to manifest that, to bring the best out in everybody that comes here, no matter where you come from.”
Remember when everyone laughed at Nick Sirianni after his first press conference as a head coach?
That same energy has lifted the team to a 6-0 record
He’s embraced the city, its culture, its intensity, the city has given that love straight back
Remember, Dawkins was working in the Eagles’ front office in 2017 so he was around those Super Bowl champions a lot. Hearing him talk about and compare the cultures is a pretty significant take.
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Eagles Legend Brian Dawkins Weighs In on Jalen Hurts MVP Debate