Philadelphia Eagles: A two quarterback scheme might actually work

If Doug Pederson is willing to think outside the box, maybe Jalen Hurts and Carson Wentz can coexist in the Philadelphia Eagles offense after all.

In the NFL, teams typically try to get their best players on the field as often as possible.

Regardless of whether they are too small, too light, or too unusually built, if a player can play, smart teams will find a way to get them on the field. Need proof? Check out this video where Los Angeles Rams DB coach Aubrey Pleasant expresses the very same sentiment about current Philadelphia Eagles‘ slot cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman.

Granted, most teams don’t double-up on two high-profile players at the same position when they play in a salary-capped league – think drafting Jahlil Okafor with Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel already on the roster – but hey, who am I to judge?

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The 2020 NFL Draft is over, Jalen Hurts is an Eagle, and the team now has their best one-two punch at quarterback since Carson Wentz and Nick Foles were teammates back in 2017.

But really, that isn’t an apt comparison.

No, the Wentz-Hurts combo is more like when Andy Reid signed Michael Vick to back up Donovan McNabb back in 2009.

Now granted, McNabb was on the decline when the Eagles signed Vick, but he was still locked in place as the team’s starting quarterback. The Eagles even had a quality backup quarterback already in place in Kevin Kolb, who they fittingly drafted in the second round. But in Vick, GM Andy Reid saw an intriguing offensive option that could add a new wrinkle to his offense and potentially develop into something more.

As an Eagles rookie – two years removed from his final game with the Atlanta Falcons – the then-29-year-old Vick appeared in 12 games with one start. In those 12 games, Vick attempted a pass in eight games and ran the ball in 11 as a part-time, change of pace quarterback.

Did he suddenly reinvent the Eagles’ offense and usher in a new generation of two-quarterback offensive systems? Obviously not, but with the wildcat serving as the popular trick play of the day, Vick’s inclusion forced opposing defensive coordinators to prepare for his unique skill set week after week to avoid looking foolish on a Sports Center highlight.

Vick only accounted for roughly three touches a game that season, but he was still able to score three touchdowns down the stretch and convince Reid that he was capable of filling a bigger role in 2010 and beyond.

Now Hurts isn’t Vick. He isn’t as fast, he has a smaller arm, and is still a work-in-progress as a passer – okay, maybe that part is like Vick – but he’s also far more committed to his craft, and more willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win – even if that means filling a backup role.

In that regard, Hurts is more like Tim Tebow than Michael Vick.

While Tebow’s legacy has transformed into a feedback loop of fans who either love or hate him, his college tape still stands head and shoulders with the best to ever do it.

You don’t just win the Heisman Trophy for nothing.

Playing for Urban Meyer at the University of Florida, Tebow left Gainesville with 12,232 all-purpose yards and as the team’s top offensive option – 9,285 yards and 88 touchdowns as a passer and 2,947 yards and 57 touchdowns as a runner. This supreme production – when coupled with his even better reputation as a leader – made the Denver Broncos comfortable enough to select Tebow 25th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft to hopefully become their next great franchise quarterback.

That obviously didn’t happen, but I digress.

Like Tebow, Hurts was a do-it-all instant offense weapon for both the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oklahoma Sooners, throwing for 9,477 yards and 44 touchdowns, while also picking up 3,274 yards and 43 touchdowns on the ground. Hurts even caught a touchdown on a Philly Special-style play you can check out here.

If the Eagles are smart, they’ll go back to watch Tebow’s early Florida tape, as it could hold some serious clues on how to unlock the potential of a two-quarterback offensive scheme at the NFL-level.

As crazy as it sounds now, Tebow actually played second banana to Chris Leak as a rookie at Florida. While his talent was simply too good to waste away on the bench, he was still a bit too raw to be counted on as an every-down signal-caller for a team like Florida with legit National Championship aspirations. In a true stroke of genius, Meyer decided to simply play two quarterbacks, allowing Leak to play between the 20s as the team’s pure passer while inserting Tebow into the game whenever he needed some instant offense and in the red zone, where his fullback size made him a walking touchdown.

That’s a role Hurts could fill in Philly.

While Wentz is certainly better than Leak, who most recently played for the Orlando Predators in the Arena Football League in 2012, he’s just too valuable for Doug Pederson to put into danger as a runner with any frequency. Calling the 27-year-old may be a bit too McNabb-ish for my liking, but I’ve seen too many of the young signal caller’s seasons prematurely ended by a poorly angled hit to feel comfortable allowing him to run a read-option in the second quarter for a seven-yard gain.

Losing Hurts on a similar play would also be bad but to a far lesser extent.

The benefits, however, are obvious. During a press session in 2018, New Orleans Saints‘ head coach Sean Payton said as much, declaring that the sporadic use of a run-pass change-of-pace quarterback creates a challenge for opposing defenses as they have to be prepared for anything and everything that quarterback may do.

Now I know comparing Hurts to Hill is already beyond tired – as they are very different players – but using the OklaBama quarterback in a similar way to how Payton deploys his third-string quarterback/tight end/special teamer as a reliever quarterback isn’t the worst idea.

The reason Hill is so successful in New Orleans – more so than any of the traditional wildcat quarterbacks like Brad Smith or Darren McFadden before him – is because he’s a legit threat to throw a 40-yard touchdown if the defense creeps a bit too far into the box. Hurts presents an even greater challenge to opposing defenses because he’s a far more accomplished passer than Hill, and a bit more elusive as a runner too if we’re being honest.

Sure, the Eagles can still line him up at slot receiver, at running back, or in some weird flex role that’s all their own – maybe they’ll call it the wiz wit? – but those occasional trick offensive plays are far less threatening to opposing defensive coordinators than inserting Hurts into games as a regular part of the offensive rotation similar to swapping out LeGarrette Blount for Darren Sproles on obvious passing downs.

Oh gosh, what if Hurts is the new Sproles, a matchup piece that forces opposing teams to account for his every move regardless of where he’s lined up? Roseman took my Curtis Samuel/Antonio Gibson/Lynn Bowden suggestions and raised me the ability to pick apart defenses with an NFL-level passer. Touche Howie, touche.

Next. The post-draft pressure is on for Greg Ward. dark

Is there a possibility that Philly fans will favor one quarterback over the other, and these two warring factions will break into a Philadelphia Eagles Civil War? Not only could that happen, but it all but certainly will. However, that doesn’t have to happen. Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts can co-exist in the same offense and support each other a la Joel Embiid and Al Horford. It may not work, but if Doug Pederson figures it out, we’ll surely see teams the league over signing quarterback prospects once considered undraftable to fill a similar role moving forward. In the modern NFL, maybe two quarterbacks is no longer the same as having none.

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