Getty Eagles QB Jalen Hurts set the Super Bowl record for most rushing yards and most rushing TDs in a Super Bowl.
Philadelphia Eagles starter Jalen Hurts is the coolest cat in any room he enters. He walks with a self-assured gait. He speaks with humbled confidence. He runs the huddle with enviable poise, flashing no signs of any insecurity or fear. Hurts, in words and deeds, is the total package.
So, it was shocking to hear a local reporter take aim at Hurts as he alleged that the dual-threat quarterback was the “most insecure athlete in Philadelphia.” The Inquirer’s Marcus Hayes has long been known for dropping scorching hot takes – many of them defy logic, living in the world of head-scratching rumors – but this one stung harder. Eagles fans threw up their arms in disbelief on Twitter, especially once they realized he was talking about Hurts, not Carson Wentz, in a wildly confusing interview.
“My observation with Jalen Hurts is he’s probably the most insecure athlete in Philadelphia, who uses the insecurity to his advantage,” Hayes told JAKIB Sports. “I think he knows what his physical limitations are and always has been, and that’s one reason he works so hard to optimize every bit of ability he has.
“And that’s one reason he works so hard to be in the best physical shape he can be in, and he works so hard to understand the league, whatever system he’s running offensively, what his own teammates can do.”
“He’s probably the most insecure athlete in Philadelphia, who uses the insecurity to his advantage. I think he knows what his physical limitations are and always has been, and that’s one reason he works so hard to optimize every bit of ability he has.”
– @inkstainedretch on…
Then, in a surprising twist of positivity, Hayes compared Hurts to Michael Jordan: “You hear this all the time: I’ve never seen a guy who works as hard as player X. Jalen Hurts works as hard as Michael Jordan. He really does.”
‘Cool, Calm, and Collected No Matter What’
The Eagles had scouted Jalen Hurts hard dating back to his freshman season at Alabama. According to The Athletic’s Dan Pompei, the team sent several scouts to watch him play in 2016 and gather information on an electrifying young quarterback who had been generating buzz. One thing was clear to everyone: this kid was overflowing with security.
“He was always cool, calm and collected no matter what, even in the national championship game as a true freshman,” Eagles scout Ian Cunningham told Pompei. “He always had this poise and even-keeled demeanor.”
Look at Jalen Hurts’ eyes as he scans the field. Cool, calm, collected on the biggest of stages. That’s a freshman.
Later, Hurts would get benched in the 2018 National Championship Game before transferring to Oklahoma. But, watching the way he navigated that situation, only endeared him more to the Eagles’ front office. They made the controversial decision to take him in the second round of the 2020 draft despite Carson Wentz’s presence on the depth chart.
“The more we were exposed to him, the more we liked,” Eagles GM Howie Roseman told The Athletic. “We saw he had physical tools, arm talent and unique athleticism. He’s a winner, and he’s a leader.”
Highest Scoring Player in Fantasy Football
Jalen Hurts racked up 35 total touchdowns (22 passing, 13 rushing) in what was shaping up to be an MVP season in 2022. Injury cost him the hardware, but expectations are through the roof this year.
Hurts is being projected to be one of the best players in fantasy football, according to Sharp Football Analysis: “While there will be some regression in the first-half performance for Hurts and this offense, we are going to get more 60-minute games as well. Pair that with how aggressive the Eagles told us they want to be as an offense, and Hurts has a runway to be the highest-scoring player in fantasy this season.”