Philadelphia Eagles: 3 reasons to feel optimistic about Jalen Hurts in 2021
By David Esser
Hurts’ relationship with new quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson.
Just like Wentz reuniting with Frank Reich will be good for his career, Jalen Hurts reuniting with an old friend/mentor in Brian Johnson will likely be good for his NFL career moving forward.
A family friend since way back to when Hurts was a toddler, the potential for a strong relationship to develop between the Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback and their new quarterbacks coach appears to be high. John McMullen wrote the following for PhillyVoice.com on the hire when it initially happened (brackets signify my words):
"…Johnson’s prior relationship with Hurts, the Eagles’ safety net and cost-effective insurance policy for the embattled one-time starter at the game’s important position. You see Johnson has known Hurts since he was 4, played for Hurts’ father in high school, and even recruited the Eagles’ projected No. 2 [now projected number one] as a four-star recruit…"
Bringing in a family friend as a coach for Hurts might worry some, but Brian Johnson also brings with him a strong resume for someone of such a young age (33). He’s coached at four different colleges already, most recently being promoted to Florida’s offensive coordinator in a year where Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts really took the nation by storm.
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Even with the longstanding relationship being present between Hurts and Johnson, my guess is that Sirianni’s perception is that Brian Johnson would have been a strong hire regardless.
Hurts has also been pretty universally praised as someone who is very “coachable.” Worth taking into consideration when evaluating the young coaching staff around him.