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What a difference three years makes. From the sometimes lackadaisical, quiet leadership of Carson Wentz to the thermostat-setting style of Jalen Hurts. The MVP candidate is ever humble, yet drips confidence from every pore as evidenced by his expletive-filled victory speeches. The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback is a “f****** killer,” according to teammate Jason Kelce.
Kelce has gone on record about Hurts, as well as head coach Nick Sirianni, for being the reasons he made the tough decision to return for a 12th NFL season. He saw an opportunity to compete for a championship, perhaps ending his career with two Super Bowl rings when the final chapter is written. Hurts is the catalyst, something he was more than willing to elaborate on during a recent conversation with the New York Post.
“He’s humble on the outside and in what he says, but on the inside he’s a f****** killer,” Kelce told Mark Cannizzaro. “The best guys that I’ve ever been around, all these guys have the confidence, but they’re humble enough to gain the respect of their peers around them … but in their head, they’re killers.”
Hurts has been fighting through pain in his injured right shoulder for the better part of a month. He sat out back-to-back games, then returned for the regular-season finale to ensure the Eagles earned the No. 1 seed. Now he appears poised and ready to lead his team to a playoff win on Saturday night. A trip to the NFC Championship Game is on the line. That’s something he’s not going to miss or take for granted.
When asked how his shoulder was feeling and what his approach would be, Hurts replied: “Get it done.” Then, the Pro Bowl quarterback elaborated a bit on what is was going to take to beat the New York Giants for the third time in five weeks.
“Double down on that process and just do the thing that you’ve always done,” Hurts said. “Obviously when you have guys that hang around year to year, and you’re in the division, well there’s a lot of familiarity with that. It’ll be fun, we gotta go out there and compete, go out there and execute, and play with the right fundamentals.”
Kelce Reveals ‘True Personality’ of MVP Quarterback
Kelce has been Hurts’ biggest fan from the first day he took over for Wentz. He came in and commanded the huddle with a professionalism and swagger that defied his young age. It was refreshingly unexpected, yet kind of normal knowing what everyone knows now. Kelce spoke to Heavy back in November during the launch of Underdog PHL, his clothing line and charity organization.
He was asked to share a behind-the-scenes story that showed Hurts’ true personality, something funny or slightly controversial. Kelce smiled and laughed as he mulled over the question with great intention, then stated the following:
“He’s killing it and you see what his personality is,” Kelce told Heavy. “It sounds like it’s canned answers maybe, or it sounds like it’s rehearsed stuff but what you see is what you get with that guy. I think because he’s the son of a coach, he embodies a lot of these things he says every single day. It’s not just speak for the fans or he’s trying to do something that sounds right, that’s who this guy is. He’s who he is every single day.
“I don’t think any of it up there is any kind of show or he’s a guarded person. He’s very serious about this game. He’s very serious about football. He’s very serious about the Philadelphia Eagles and he approaches it in a way that he truly believes is going to be the most productive on the field.”
Hurts Has No Designation on Injury Report
Hurts will start for the Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round on Saturday night. He participated in Tuesday’s walk-through and Thursday’s practice, walking away from both sessions with no injury designation. His shoulder probably isn’t 100%, but it doesn’t matter. He told reporters he was “feeling good” and focused on beating the New York Giants.
“We’ve always had a laser-focused approach,” Hurts said, “a process-oriented approach, you know a diligent approach to what we’re doing, so nothing changes.”
When asked if the bye week helped heal his aching body – the Eagles haven’t played a game since January 8 – he predictably dodged the question.
“I don’t,” Hurts said. “We know we have to come prepared and put in a great week of preparation to go out there and play well Saturday.”
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