Jalen Hurts speaks to the media
doubledragon
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Jalen Hurts commented on the upcoming season.
Eagle Maven on FanNation
Jalen Hurts: "We're Very Hungry. We Don’t Plan on Missing Meals"
The Eagles QB is unfazed by not being named the 2021 starter yet and is benefitting from two things he didn't have as a rookie - DeVonta Smith and in-person OTAs
PHILADELPHIA - The Deshaun Watson rumors won't die.
They swirl at the feet of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts like so many hotdog wrappers on a breezy fall Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
Hurts doesn’t even bother to swat them away.
His laser focus on the task at hand showed through loud and clear during his videoconference on Wednesday. His words were even stronger, especially when asked if it bothers him that the Eagles haven’t come out yet and officially named him the starter for the 2021 season.
“I know I’m not above anything with competition or football IQ, and all the values that you have, I’m not above any of that,” he said. “So that’s kind of where that is.”
Hurts is atop whatever depth chart there is in May.
It’s his job right now. He knows it, even though he won’t say it.
His teammates know it, and they will say it.
“You see that he really wants to be great,” said defensive end Brandon Graham. “That was something you see from Day 1 from his habits … But now that he’s the guy, it’s going to be a lot different because now the expectations are up there.
“When you know you’re the guy, it definitely puts that pep in your stuff a little more. It builds that confidence that you already have inside you, but it grows even more inside you.”
Right now, Hurts can only prepare like he is going to be the starter, and he should benefit from at least two things.
First, The Eagles delivered to him his one-time teammate at Alabama, DeVonta Smith.
“I always tell people the first thing about him, one, the competitor he is, kind of a storied guy, kind of like myself in a few ways,” said Hurts. “He’s self-driven, and bringing in someone like that, I think it helps just in the presence of him being here.”
Second, and even more importantly, is being able to be around real, live teammates rather than just faces on a computer screen like last spring’s all-virtual program due to COVID-19. And with that comes actual on-field drills and in-person bonding.
I’m very happy that we’re kind of able to get in the building now,” he said. “One, get acclimated to new coaches, new system. You got some new faces in the building. I think all of that is important to our growth as a football team.
“I’m happy we’re able to do that … I think that’s what it comes down to, being committed to what coach is preaching, playing together, and believing in one another.”
Not everything is completely back to normal.
The Eagles aren’t having any seven-on-seven or 11-on-11 team drills during these three weeks of practices.
Like is still-uncertain starting job status, Hurts waves that nuisance off like a pesky swarm of gnats.
“I won’t get into the things that we can’t do, the things that may hold us back,” he said. “I see these things as turning a negative into a positive. We want to maximize what we do have and go to work … I wouldn’t say it’s a direct negative. You’d love to do it, but these are the cards we’re dealt right now, so this is what we have to play with.”
Hurts is still an unknown commodity despite making four starts in a season that was already in tatters by the time he replaced Carson Wentz.
As former Eagles defensive end Chris Long so eloquently put it when talking on the podcast, Philly Sports with Giovanni on Wednesday, “It’s really hard for young players to get traction in a crappy situation, and last year was really crappy.”
The best Hurts can do is learn from those games, so he won’t be, as he said, a repeat offender of the same mistakes he made as a rookie.
“I think we’re all hungry,” he said. “I know (Jalen) Reagor is. I know Smitty is. I know the whole entire receiving corps is, G-Ward (Greg Ward), the O-line. I think everybody is hungry.
“…Everybody is hungry because we didn’t finish, we didn’t do what we wanted to do last year. It didn’t go the way we wanted it to. Ultimately, in the end, we didn’t have the outcome that we wanted. So we’re very hungry. We don’t plan on missing meals.”
Comments
I think Hurts is going to be a Deshaun Watson type QB, the Eagles made a good decision to get rid of Ginger Boy and go with this kid. He will be the starter, they are just playing media games
Winning the starting job, and being a successful winning QB in the NFL are two different things.
We shall see.
Bottom line do you think the Eagles chances are better with Hurts or would have preferred they kept Wentz?
I think they will be better off with Hurts.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Preferred they kept Wentz. But now that he's gone, he's gone. Frankly if his attitude was as bad as has been reported, maybe it's for the best.
My observations from last season is that Hurts isn't a winning NFL starting quarterback. Perhaps he'll grow into the job, but I have my doubts. He seems to be the type of NFL quarterback that plays good enough to keep his job over the other QB's on the team, but lose football games at the same time.
Come on Steve, get pumped up about this upcoming season, the Eagles are hungry, and they're looking to feast on the Cowboys, Giants, and Football team. Get pumped man!
From my limited experience watching him I think he is better than your describing but I only watched him a little since he was my fantasy QB for last years playoffs, I still think he got screwed by being taking out of that game against Washington
It’s way to early to tell what Hurts will be. The sample size is too small. The Eagles were a mess last year with injuries and the Wentz controversy.
The NFL is where mediocre QBs go to die. Remember Garner Minshew. He was the 2nd coming. Guess what happened? Film and adjustments. Just months later he’s battling to hold a clipboard somewhere.
Give Hurts and Tua 8 games. You’ll be able to tell if they’ve got what it takes.
MHO is both will be holding clipboards sooner than later.
I’m no Carson Wentz fan but the Eagles had a better chance with him. If they knew they were dumping their coach they should have done everything they could to keep him.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Wentz's head just wasn't in the game last season....for whatever reason.
I guess the Eagles got tired of trying to figure it all out.
I'm ready to resume bird watching on Sundays if necessary.
I might even try sitting on a park bench and feeding the pigeons. Centenarians seem to enjoy it so why can't i? 🐦
And please don't tell me that's not the right emoji for a pigeon. It's one of those rare red pigeons. 🐦
I don't disagree with ya about the sample size. But that's all i have to go on for my opinion about him at this point in time. And from what I'm reading, it's not like Hurts is lighting it up in camp.
Hope you're right, but i don't have a good feeling about Jalen Hurts ever taking the Eagles to a Super Bowl.
I have already told you guys many times....Wentz was never going to get things back together in Philly. It's the statue.
The situation with that statue is strange, very strange indeed.
Are they holding the books they wrote after 1 SB win?
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Just want to clarify that I HATE spell check. “My Buddy” was supposed to be “My limited”. It’s so annoying
Can't disagree with ya. It really is hard to believe.
Especially considering at the time, Wentz was only in his second season as a player, and Pederson was only in his second season as a head coach.
At the time it looked like a possible dynasty, but alas it was not meant to be.
BTW: Did i use the word "alas" correctly? I don't want to screw up a sentence like Perkdog just did. 😉
If I were Carson Wentz, I would vandalize that statue, and put my image on there!