Philadelphia Eagles: 3 reasons to feel optimistic about Jalen Hurts in 2021

With Carson Wentz set to rock Colts blue for the upcoming season, all attention has now shifted towards the only quarterback signed through 2021 on the Philadelphia Eagles roster: Jalen Hurts.

A second round pick last spring, Hurts was one of the more interesting rookie QBs to study last season. Local and national media pundits alike were calling for him to be the Eagles starter all year long, and while he impressed in his first two games under center, he ultimately ended the year 1-3 as the team’s starting quarterback.

While I wouldn’t rule out Howie Roseman grabbing a new QB1 with the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft, there’s definitely a certain level of optimism that can be had moving forward with Hurts:

The Philadelphia Eagles should feel good about Hurts.

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He flashed serious potential against New Orleans and Arizona.

Ignoring his abysmal games against Washington and Dallas for a moment, Hurts looked like a legitimate starting-caliber QB during his first two games against the Saints and the Cardinals.

He put up 273 total yards in a win over New Orleans’ highly ranked defense in his first career start, and then turned around with a 401 yard performance against Arizona the following week.

Just off those two games alone, you saw a quarterback that understands what his strengths are, and how to appropriately utilize them against NFL defenses.

Taking into account the beat up offensive line and the below average weapons that he was working with, and it’s safe to say that Hurts went above and beyond during his first couple tests as a true quarterback #1.