They aren’t division rivals, or even in the same conference, but Jalen Hurts and Drake Maye have developed a bit of a rivalry from the outsiders’ perspective.
Thanks to many members of the national media, there has been a growing narrative that the New England Patriots‘ quarterback is light-years ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Pro Bowl passer.
It started mainly due to AJ Brown’s departure. Despite Brown becoming an All-Pro wideout with Hurts tossing him the ball, many believed that the star receiver would post much better stats with Maye throwing to him.
Going into Week 1, CBS Sports ranked Hurts No. 16 in the league. Maye was just outside the top five.
What Happened After Week 1?
Maye caught a lot of heat for his Week 1 performance against the Seattle Seahawks.
The veteran passer threw 23-of-33 for 178 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. He connected with Brown for three catches and 26 yards. Brown went down with an ankle injury during the third quarter.
Obviously, the loss of Brown hurt, but Maye was far from impressive even with the All-Pro sharing the field with him.
Maye dropped six spots on the CBS Sports list after his performance. Hurts climbed just three. He’s still trailing Maye, but now they are 13 and 12.
“Jalen Hurts made it clear early on that he is a scheme fit for new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion’s Shanahan-McVay tree offensive scheme,” Garrett Podell wrote.
Hurts went 14-for-25 against the Washington Commanders, posting 203 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He also rushed seven times for 46 yards. The Eagles sealed the game with a 24-22 win.
In addition to Maye, Hurts trails Brock Purdy, Jared Goff, Dak Prescott, Caleb Williams, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Matthew Stafford, Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen.