Getty Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith had nothing but positive things to say about Eagles QB Jalen Hurts.
A Dallas Cowboys great has a direct message about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Leading into Super Bowl LVII, Dallas Cowboys legend and Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith has a direct message for Hurts — he loves him. While speaking to NBC10 in Philadelphia, Smith spoke openly about Hurts — who is from Texas — and said he has nothing but respect for him.
“I love him. He’s a proven champion,” Smith said on Feb. 8. “They have a great chance of winning [against the Chiefs] and he is the reason why they will win.”
When asked a follow-up question on how Cowboys fans would feel towards his complimentary comments towards a quarterback who plays for a hated rival, Smith didn’t budge from his thoughts.
“Can’t say nothing,” Smith said. “Can’t say nothing. Keep your mouth closed.”
Jalen Hurts Lives up to Hype in Super Bowl LVII
The 24-year-old quarterback lived up to Smith’s hype, posting a record-breaking performance in the Eagles’ 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. Hurts became the first quarterback in Super Bowl history to rush for three touchdowns while passing for another. In addition to his four total touchdowns, Hurts also threw for 304 passing yards. He also paced Philadelphia with 70 rushing yards, a record for a quarterback in a Super Bowl.
However, one of the key plays in the game occurred during the second quarter with Philadelphia ahead 14-7 and a chance to go up by two possessions. Hurts fumbled the ball on a run play — without being touched — and Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton proceeded to run it back 36 yards for a touchdown to tie the game up.
Despite scoring 35 points — a record for a losing team in a Super Bowl — Hurts unsurprisingly expressed disappointment over coming up short of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
“Obviously we had a big time goal that we wanted to accomplish at the end, but we came up short,” said Hurts. “I think the beautiful part of it is that we all experience different pains, but you decide if you want to learn from it and be a teachable moment… I know that is what I will do.”
Nick Sirianni Says Jalen Hurts ‘Played Great’ in Loss
The Eagles had gone 16-1 in Hurts’ starts this season prior to the Super Bowl. They went 0-2 when Hurts was sidelined — Gardner Minshew started in his absence — for a couple of games due to a shoulder injury.
Despite the setback, head coach Nick Sirianni continued to voice support for his franchise quarterback after the game.
“To me, Jalen played the best game I’ve seen him play in the two years that we’ve been together,” Sirianni said. “He was outstanding. I really thought he was in complete control. He did things with his legs in the run game. He did things with his arm in the pass game, made some unbelievable throws, unbelievable reads. I thought he played outstanding. And you know you really look at the game and that was good for the NFL in the sense that the two best quarterbacks in the NFL played against each other on the biggest stage in the biggest lights. And Jalen played great.”
With Hurts back under center heading into next season, there’s a good chance the Eagles will be back on the biggest stage for a second consecutive season.