Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts has every reason to succeed this season

It’s no small secret that Jalen Hurts performance over his first two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles has not filled most with an abundance of confidence. To his credit, Hurts has impressed in certain areas. His legs are among the top in the league at his position, and more importantly, he’s shown strong leadership skills and an incredible work ethic. That can only get a quarterback so far, though.

As impressive as his plus qualities are, Hurts struggled mightily last season doing what a quarterback must, throwing. Whether it was his poor decision-making, his seeming lack of arm strength (more of an issue of poor footwork), or his insistence on almost entirely throwing towards the sideline, Hurts failed to give the team a reason to believe.

As much as last season’s performance was a reflection of Jalen Hurts, the fact is that the team around him simply was not good enough. Outside of then-rookie Devonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert, Hurt did not have on truly reliable receiver. Not only that, but the defense was porous between a rash of injuries and an innate lack of talent. While one cannot fully excuse away Hurt’s performance, the truth is, and the Eagles know it, to properly evaluate Jalen Hurts, the team must not give him an excuse.

After adding multiple impact players this offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles have given Jalen Hurts every reason to succeed this season.

Offensively, the Philadelphia Eagles have, of course, added star wide receiver A.J. Brown and veteran Zach Pascal, who, for obvious reasons, will help Jalen Hurts improve. A second season for Devonta Smith will also contribute to the improved offense as he aims to improve upon a fantastic rookie campaign. With the improved receivers room combined with the returning run game and offensive line group, the Eagles have assembled a complete offensive squad for Jalen Hurts to command.

Defensively, Philadelphia has added even more marquee players. Edge rusher Haason Redick is poised to improve the Eagles’ rushing attack in a big way. Rookie Jordan Davis is projected to have a big role even in his first season as the team’s big-bodied nose tackle. Linebackers Kyzir White and Nakobe Dean are, on paper, tremendous upgrades to the linebacker core, and the team has vastly improved the secondary as well. While James Bradberry and Jaquiski Tartt are both coming off of challenging seasons, they are also both proven talents who have helped to make this Philadelphia Eagles’ secondary look like one of their most complete in recent memory.

With the additions made on both sides of the ball, Jalen Hurts has been given every reason to succeed. If he cannot put it all together this season, he risks losing his spot as the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. If he rises to the occasion, however, he could launch this team into contention status.