Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts is going to sell a ton of jerseys
After a storied college career at both Alabama and Oklahoma, Jalen Hurts is going to sell a ton of number 2 Philadelphia Eagles jerseys this fall.
Well, it’s official, after some minor speculation, Jalen Hurts will wear number 2 for the Philadelphia Eagles this fall.
Okay, technically, this shouldn’t be that big of a surprise. In college, Hurts played for two different schools, wore two different numbers – including the number 2 – and was drafted in the second round by the Eagles, it’s kind of his lucky number at this point.
I guess Hurts could have attempted to buy 1, the number he wore at Oklahoma, away from tenured punter Cam Johnston, but why bother? After watching the hype video Hurts posted on his Twitter announcing the number, I personally couldn’t be more, well, hyped to have another DEUCE in South Philly. Check out the video below.
https://twitter.com/JalenHurts/status/1260729987512008705?s=20
My goodness, that jersey just looks clean.
Now as you may or may not know, Philly has a long history of loving the Eagles’ backup quarterbacks, maybe even a little more than the team’s starting quarterbacks. It’s kind of our thing. Go to an Eagles game today – or whenever you’re actually allowed to – and you’ll see tons of jerseys for players like Nick Foles, Michael Vick, and even Kevin Kolb littering the parking lot. Heck, I’ve even seen a few Jeff Garcia jerseys, which would be a beyond hipster move if it wasn’t worn by a father of three.
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And it’s my humble belief that Hurts jerseys could soon become a style of many fans’ game-day attire.
First and foremost, the jersey itself. As college football has taught us, single-digit numbers just look cooler than numbers in the teens on up. While one could, in theory, opt to wear an NFL approved number through their college carers, a team’s best player will often wear 1-9 embroidered on their chest whether they play quarterback, running back, or defensive back.
Some schools like Temple even reward their single-digit numbers to players who embody a specific trait they value – ‘Temple Tuff-ness’ if you will.
Outside of Foles, the Eagles haven’t had a player with a single-digit jersey worth buying since Vick in 2013, maybe even Donovan McNabb in 2009.
Then there comes the excitement of Hurts as a player.
While the specific role Hurts will be asked to fill later this year is still a mystery, as some believe the Eagles will use him like Taysom Hill, others think he’ll get a handful of gimmick snaps as a Tim Tebow-style wildcat quarterback, and others still see the former OklaBama quarterback as nothing more than an overdrafted backup quarterback, he is without a doubt one of the more exciting additions to this team’s offense in some time.
Jalen Reagor, K’Von Wallace, and maybe even John Hightower will probably play more snaps in 2020 and may be more productive at their specific positions, but none of those players have the ability to change the course of a game like Hurts.
Until proven otherwise, opposing teams are going to have to specifically gameplan for Hurts during the week to prepare for the potential looks he can be deployed in either alongside Carson Wentz or in relief of the 27-year-old Pro Bowler. Granted, Doug Pederson probably won’t use Hurts in the same way every game, as he could play receiver in one game, quarterback in another, and get direct snaps as a designated runner the week after that, his unicorn set of skills will make teams defend the Eagles’ offense differently.
How many highlight-reel plays are worth a $100 jersey?
Factor in the dedicated fanbases of both Alabama and Oklahoma who even reside in the City of Brotherly Love and Hurts jerseys could be as common as Dallas Cowboys fans in our fair city – only unlike Cowboys fans, you’ll actually enjoy seeing them in public.
Next. T.J. Edwards gets some love from Pro Football Focus. dark
Will I personally be buying a Jalen Hurts jersey? Only if he unseats Carson Wentz as the Philadelphia Eagles’ franchise signal-caller (more on that here), but that doesn’t mean I won’t appreciate it if others do. Even if Hurts never earns a start, his addition has brought some much-needed excitement to these trying times, and for that, he’ll always hold a special place in my books.