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Even with a 10-game winning streak and a 12-2 record, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts still faces an uphill battle in terms of respect.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky was the latest to take a dig at Hurts on December 19 on “First Take” when he placed the NFL All-Pro and 2-time Pro Bowler low on his list of NFC quarterbacks.
“I would not put (Hurts) in my top five right now,” Orlovsky said. “Jalen is playing really well … it’s not a knock on Jalen.”
Orlovsky didn’t just put Hurts outside of his Top 5 — he almost put him outside of his Top 10.
The former NFL quarterback put Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels all ahead of Hurts, who signed a 5-year, $255 million contract extension with the Eagles in March 2023.
Orlovsky Known For One of NFL’s Biggest Bloopers
Orlovsky was a fifth round pick (No. 145 overall) by the Lions in the 2005 NFL draft who played 13 seasons for 5 different teams but is best known for one unforgettable blooper while playing for the Lions during the 2008 regular season.
Playing against the Vikings and lined up in the shotgun in his own end zone, Orlovsky took the snap and dropped back to pass … and out of the back of his own end zone for a safety in what turned out to be a 12-10 Lions loss.
Orlovsky started 7 games for the Lions in 2008 as the franchise went 0-16, becoming the first NFL team to go winless since the league’s regular season schedule expanded from 14 games to 16 games in 1978. The Cleveland Browns also went 0-16 in 2017.
Hurts Has Faced Criticism Within Own Locker Room
Orlovsky’s slight isn’t the first time Hurts has faced criticism in 2024 despite the Eagles’ overwhelming success to this point — criticism that’s come inside of his own locker room as well as in the media.
After a 22-16 win over the Carolina Panthers on December 8, Eagles wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith both called out the passing game after Hurts went 14-of-21 passing for 108 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions.
One week later, Hurts told The Associated Press he was playing with a broken finger on his left, non-throwing hand following a 27-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in which he went 25-of-32 passing for 290 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions while also rushing for 45 yards and 1 touchdown.
“It’s broken, and it did impact my play,” Hurts said. “ … If it’s shattered, it’s shattered. It is what it is.”
The Ringer’s Steven Ruiz, said Hurts was “closer to bottom 10” as an NFL quarterback on an episode of “The Ringer NFL Show” on December 11.
“(Hurts) is far worse than the quarterback we saw in 2022,” Ruiz said. “And I think that’s the biggest concern that it’s not like his play has regressed as things have regressed around him. I think you could kind of make the argument that things might be better around him … He’s just not making the throws and I don’t know how to quantify that.”
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