Even when Jalen Hurts wins he still can’t win.
Despite his proven accomplishments in college, NFL doubters are still, frustratingly, questioning whether he’s a true NFL quarterback.
At Alabama, he became the first true freshman to start for the Tide since Vince Sutton in 1984. That season he threw for 2,780 yards with 23 TDs and 9 INTs. He also rushed for 954 yards rushing and 13 TDs. He broke Blake Sims’ school record for total TDs in a single season (35) and became the first player in Alabama history to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in a single game.
If that wasn’t enough, he quarterbacked the Crimson Tide to a perfect 12-0 regular season, won SEC Offensive Player of the Year, and led them to the National Championship where they lost to Deshaun Watson and Clemson, 35-31.
“A legend is born here tonight in Tampa,” exclaimed ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit after Hurts broke the Tigers’ ankles en route to a 30-yard TD run.
Had Alabama pulled out the win, Hurts would have been the second true freshman starting quarterback to win a National Championship since Jamelle Holieway did it with the Sooners in 1985.
But it wasn’t good enough for critics.
The next year Hurts did it again. This time he led the Tide to a 12-1 record and another National Championship birth. But his ineffective first half led to his benching, opening the door for Tua Tagovailoa.
Jalen was forced to watch Tua from the bench during his junior season. Then Tua was injured in the SEC Championship and Nick Saban recalled Hurts from purgatory. Jalen answered the call and responded with 110 total yards and 2 TDs, leading Alabama to a 35-28 come-from-behind victory over Georgia.
Despite his heroics, Jalen was exiled back to the bench in the National Championship in favor of Tua, where the Tide fell to Clemson again.
Yet Jalen wasn’t done.
He transferred to Oklahoma for his senior year and lit up college football.
He amassed 3,851 passing yards with 32 TDs and 8 INTs and rushed for 1,298 yards and 20 TDs. Hurts was 1st team All-Big 12, led the nation in passing yards/attempt, and was second in the nation in both passing efficiency (191.2) and total TDs (53 as he caught a TD).
If Joe Burrow hadn’t obliterated defenses and record books that season, Hurts would have taken the Heisman Trophy.
Yet despite all of that success, people still doubted his ability.
Jalen Hurts had more passing yards, rushing yards, and total TDs than Justin Herbert, Jordan Love, and Jacob Eason.
But that wasn’t enough for the “experts”, some of whom ranked him below those aforementioned players. These doubters essentially said the Eagles wasted a pick when they drafted him with the 53rd pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
As we enter the 2021 preseason, Jalen is penciled in as the Eagles’ starting quarterback. His head coach, Nick Sirianni, is reluctant to name him the starter.
“There’s no rush,” said Sirianni last week per Mike Kaye of NJ Advance Media. “We’re just not there yet.”
Not there yet?
Who’s better than him? Backup Joe Flacco?
Stop.
It’s time to put pen to paper and name him the starter. It’s a sentiment Joy Taylor voiced loudly on Thursday on “First Things First”.
“You have to give the team to Jalen Hurts,” implored Taylor. “You have to allow him the grace to fail. Otherwise, why did you pick him? He’s got to be the future or you have to find out this year.”
Just Like Russell Wilson
Jalen Hurts has the talent, skills, and mindset to be a success in the NFL. Did he have a Justin Herbert season? Far from it. But I dare you to name 2 good, healthy receivers on the Eagles last season that Jalen could throw to.
In his rookie season, Hurts was 1-4 as a starter.
He threw for 1,061 yards with 6 TDs and 4 INTs and added in 354 yards rushing and 3 TDs. And that was on a bad team with major injuries and a coach who eventually lost the team.
This season he has talent, including Heisman winner Devonta Smith. Yet he’s still facing challenges.
As if trying to silence the critics wasn’t enough, now he has to watch and see if the Eagles pull off a rumored trade for Texans’ quarterback Deshaun Watson, who’s facing problems of his own.
But Hurts has maintained his focus.
“There’s a lot of chatter that goes on,” said Hurts. “I’m above it all. I control what I can. I’m here. That’s what I’m doing, going out there and being the quarterback for this team.”
That mindset hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“I am so confident in Jalen. He’s a gym rat. He’s just thinking about football all the time, that’s what I love about him,” said Sirianni in late July. “He’s going to use those mental reps, that’s for sure. We just got to get him more reps out here on the field.”
Last night Hurts started the Eagles’ preseason game against the Steelers. He went 3-7 for 54 yards in their two opening series and would have had more if not for two drops.
While those are not jaw-dropping numbers, it’s a promising start for a quarterback who deserves the starting job.
Jalen Hurts is similar in stature to, and shares a similar storyline with, 7x Pro Bowl QB Russell Wilson. He wasn’t highly regarded despite four good years in college. Yet when given a chance as an NFL quarterback, look what happened.
So give Jalen Hurts his rightful shot. It worked for Pete Carroll.
