Jalen Hurts Not in Top 10 QB Rankings, NFL Exec Says Eagles Offense ‘Became Stale’

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts fell out of the top 10 in the annual positional rankings of ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

One NFC executive told Fowler that Hurts was “playing hurt,” which contributed to the dip in his performance. An AFC scout was a little more critical when they said the Eagles signal-caller will “always be in that 7-12 range.” An NFL team executive also said Philly’s offense “became stale.”

Fowler, who canvasses NFL coaches, scouts and executives to establish the hierarchy at each position, listed Hurts at No. 6 in 2023. Heading into the 2024 season, the two-time Pro Bowler failed to make the cut.

The numbers tell you all you need to know. The 25-year-old averaged fewer passing (226.9) and rushing (35.6) yards compared to his 2022 breakout campaign, and his QBR fell from 68.3 to 60.1.

The reasoning behind Hurts’ slight drop in production is one of the biggest questions hanging over the Eagles.

Calling him a flash in the pan would be harsh, but maybe the heights he reached in 2022 were a bit of a one-off and something he won’t replicate moving forward. That would be the worst-case scenario for Philadelphia given how important he is to the franchise.

It’s equally possible — and arguably most likely — that injuries and coaching more than anything else explain Hurts’ 2023 season. The latter in particular was a regular source of frustration among fans, to the point where the status of head coach Nick Sirianni wasn’t fully assured once the year ended.

In January, ESPN’s Tim McManus laid out the “disconnect” between Hurts, Sirianni and first-year offensive coordinator Brian Johnson in great depth. Promoting Johnson, who had been the quarterbacks coach in 2021 and 2022, to replace Shane Steichen made obvious sense, but he simply didn’t work in the coordinator role.

Now, Kellen Moore is running an offense that Hurts has said is “probably 95 percent” new.

Sirianni will be under a lot of pressure to deliver in the year ahead. His starting quarterback will face just as much, if not more, scrutiny given how much Philadelphia has done to tailor the offense to his strengths.