Jalen Hurts appeared on the Monday Night Football Manningcast this week, and the Eagles quarterback took the opportunity of a national television appearance to send a message to any doubters that still remain. Hurts wore a hoodie that said, “God bless whoever hating on me.”
Jalen Hurts’ hoodie on MNF: “God Bless Whoever Hating On Me.”
Hurts also set the record straight on being misquoted by former Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin. Meanwhile, the sweatshirt had Eagles Twitter ablaze, with many fans wondering where they could pick up a similar hoodie of their own. (It appears they can do so from GBWHOM.)
Hurts has approached his leadership role and stardom with a calm and even-keeled approach, never taking the bait when asked about controversial topics, and letting his play on the field do most of the talking. Hurts usually focuses his comments on continued improvement as a team and away from personal accolades or grudges.
However, there have been subtle hints that he’s enjoyed sticking it to the haters with his play this season, and this is clearly the most obvious one. There was also the arms crossed pose on Monday Night Football, which he also struck while celebrating the Eagles 29-21 win over the Jaguars this week.
In @brit_covey2 video of #Eagles celebrating to Meek Mill’s Dreams & Nightmares, @JalenHurts strikes his pose as “I don’t say a word, I don’t say a word, was on my grind and now I got what I deserve,” plays. Perfect lyrics for #1, a hard worker who lets his game do the talking.
Hurts has been absolutely on fire this season, and he currently trails only Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes as betting favorites to be NFL MVP, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Jalen Hurts On Pace for Record-Setting Season
So far in 2022, Hurts has completed 67% of his passes for 1,120 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions through four games. That puts Hurts on pace for 4,760 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 8.5 interceptions. Last year Hurts threw for 3,144 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 9 picks while completing 61% of his passes.
He’s also improved his rushing numbers, somehow. Last year Hurts ran for an impressive 784 yards and 10 touchdowns on 139 attempts. This year he’s gone for 205 yards and four scores on 53 attempts, a pace that would leave him with 871 yards and 17 touchdowns when it’s all said and done.
That would break the NFL’s single season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, which was set at 14 by Cam Newton in 2011 according to StatHead.
The rushing yards would rank seventh all-time among quarterbacks, with Lamar Jackson posting that record in 2019 when he ripped off 1,206 yards on the ground. Only two quarterbacks have ever rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season, Jackson and Michael Vick.
Overall Hurts is on pace for 5,465 yards of total offense, which adds rushing and passing yards while subtracting yards lost on sacks. That would also be a new NFL record, topping the 5,404 yards of total offense that Drew Brees racked up in 2011, per StatHead.
The top five seasons of total offense in league history serve as a who’s who of the best quarterbacks over the last 20 years: Brees (2011), Peyton Manning (2013), Tom Brady (2021), Patrick Mahomes (2018), and Tom Brady (2011).
Eagles Trusting Hurts to Avoid Big Hits While Running
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni spoke about the importance of Hurts keeping himself healthy, and the trust he’s developed with his young quarterback in that regard.
“You don’t want [QB] Jalen [Hurts] taking big hits at any time, right?” Sirianni said during his October 3 press conference. “It’s a long season and you want him to be healthy. But he does understand how to take care of himself in those scenarios.”
Hurts took one big hit on a fourth down touchdown run that helped spark the Eagles comeback, violently colliding with Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd at the goal line, but powering past him for the score.
QB1 punches it in😤
“He got popped pretty good on that touchdown one, but I do believe that, again, it goes into trust with Jalen,” Sirianni said. “I know he knows how to take care of himself and part of it is taking care of yourself, and another part is he knows how to get — he can get wiggly and not take the hits that other guys are going to take.”
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Eagles’ Jalen Hurts Calls Out Haters On National TV