Getty Eagles QB Jalen Hurts has already committed himself to helping the Philadelphia community through his charity work.
When Carson Wentz changed to No. 2 it was seen as a challenge to Jalen Hurts who wore the same number last year for the Philadelphia Eagles. Not anymore. The team announced that Hurts is switching to No. 1.
It’s not the first time that Hurts will be sporting a No. 1 jersey. He donned the number in 2019 when he first transferred from Alabama to Oklahoma. Punter Cameron Johnston wore No. 1 last year for the Eagles but he left in free agency.
The 22-year-old quarterback is set to begin his first full season as the starter in Philly after Wentz left town for the Indianapolis Colts. Hurts threw for 1,061 yards and six touchdowns (four interceptions) in 2020 while posting a 1-3 record.
“I’m very critical of myself,” Hurts told the Adam Schefter podcast on March 8, “and I hold myself to the highest of high standards when it comes to doing things the way I want to do them. There is a lot that I could learn from in that first year. A lot of good and a lot of bad.”
New season, new numbers.
And Hurts isn’t the only player getting new threads. Receiver Quez Watkins is going from No. 80 to No. 16 and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave is switching from No. 93 to No. 97. Backup quarterback Joe Flacco will wear No. 7 and new free safety Anthony Harris will sport No. 28.
Here are all the Eagles’ number assignments: QB Jalen Hurts (1), WR Khalil Tate (6), QB Joe Flacco (7), P Arryn Siposs (8), WR Quez Watkins (16), S Andrew Adams (21), S Anthony Harris (28), CB Craig James (31), CB Shakial Taylor, TE Tyree Jackson (80), DT Javon Hargrave (97).
The latest Eagles news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Eagles newsletter here!
Notre Dame LB ‘Perfect Fit’ for Eagles
The chances the Eagles take a linebacker early in the draft remain slim. However, there is one rookie who can see himself putting on a midnight green jersey. Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah recently met with the Eagles and talked about playing in Philly during his pro day. The 21-year-old linebacker is expected to go in the first round.
“The Eagles is a place that’s a gritty place. You have to have some fierceness to you to survive in Philly,” Owusu-Koramoah told reporters. “You win in Philly, they love you. If you lose in Philly, they hate you. So you got to be able to deal with that and coming from my background, even here at Notre Dame, you know what I mean? It’s a lot of situations that I had to persevere through.”
Here’s a quick scouting report (via NFL.com) on the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder:
“JOK” made national headlines with his play as a junior, winning the Butkus Award as the country’s top linebacker (also a finalist for the Bednarik Award and Nagurski Trophy) and being named a first-team Associated Press All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year. The first-team all-conference selection led the Irish with 11 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles, while also recording 62 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, one interception and three pass breakups in 12 starts.
Buffalo Drops Out of Zach Ertz Sweepstakes
Zach Ertz remains on the Eagles’ roster despite multiple reports the team has granted his request for a trade. The Pro Bowl tight end has been linked to several teams, including the Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers.
Count the Bills out, per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. He reported the asking price was too high for Ertz.
READ ALSO: