Getty Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts will make his third NFL start this week against the Dallas Cowboys.
Jalen Hurts might have a book deal by the end of his first NFL season — that is, if there isn’t already one in the works. The rookie quarterback has a way with words, especially when it comes to dropping meaningful sayings and analogies. Here’s a new one: stay away from the rat poison.
Hurts will make his third straight professional start in Week 16 in another must-win game for the Philadelphia Eagles. One week after racking up 401 total yards (338 throwing, 63 rushing), the beyond mature 22-year-old has stayed away from his press clippings. Not to mention the poisonous talk of jealousy from Carson Wentz and a possible fractured locker room. First off, there is no rift between the two quarterbacks — and, secondly, Hurts always ignores the outside noise.
“I try to stay away from the rat poison,” Hurts told reporters on Wednesday.
Wait, rat poison? What is that all about?
“You gotta ask Coach Saban, he knows a little bit about rat poison, too,” Hurts said, referring to Alabama head coach Nick Saban. “It’s all the external factors. I’ve talked a little bit about that. It’s no good for us and what we’re trying to do as a team.”
What Hurts and the Eagles are trying to do is somehow sneak into the playoffs. That starts with beating the Dallas Cowboys this week and then getting some help. Philadelphia needs the Carolina Panthers to beat the Washington Football Team, too. Both games kick-off at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday.
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Cowboys Coach Compares Hurts to Dak Prescott
Hurts has a cannon for an arm so comparing him to just another dual-threat quarterback isn’t completely fair. He appears to be more of a pocket passer, arguably a more complete player than some of the run-first, pass-later guys in the NFL. One common shadow coming into focus in recent weeks has been Dak Prescott.
Mike McCarthy said the comparison to Dak Prescott came up a lot in the Cowboys building during the draft process when they were evaluating Jalen Hurts. Dallas was very impressed with Hurts and the similarities between the two when both were coming out were talked about often
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy brought it up on Wednesday during a Zoom call with Philly reporters, calling out both player’s natural ability to play both in the pocket and out of the pocket. Not only that but Dallas had Hurts highly rated on their draft board in 2020.
“Jalen was held in high regard in our building throughout the draft process,” McCarthy told reporters. “That comparable came up a number of times, especially when Dak came out of Mississippi State. They both came from heavy quarterback run systems in college.”
What could have been if Jalen Hurts started Week 1 in Philly?
When Hurts was asked about the comparison to Prescott, he smiled while name-dropping guys like Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson. Then the Texas native revealed that Prescott actually hosted him on a recruiting visit to Mississippi State.
“I heard it some,” said Hurts of the comparison to Prescott. “I have a lot of respect for Dak coming in and doing the things that he’s done. I’m praying for a healthy recovery for him.”
Dissecting the Sayings and Analogies
Back to Hurts’ vernacular for a minute. So far he has talked about being like a coffee bean, leaving money on the table, “so what, now what” — and “staying away from the rat poison.”
While some of those intriguing quotes have been borrowed from Saban, others are from his own life experiences. Hurts is always trying to motivate his teammates and uplift the guys around him.
“I guess it’s a way to uplift the guys around me, and that’s all I try to do with those sayings, I guess,” Hurts said of why he uses them. “Always have positive energy and always be optimistic in anything that we do.”
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