All offseason, we heard rumors of the Philadelphia Eagles flirting with other quarterbacks instead of keeping Jalen Hurts in the pilot’s seat. General manager Howie Roseman’s patience in the 53rd pick from the 2020 NFL Draft is paying off big-time halfway through the season.
As a late second-round pick, Hurts was never really hyped to be the next franchise quarterback to take over in Philly. Especially considering his selection came when former No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz was fully entrenched as the starting QB.
Yet, seven starts into the 2022 season, Hurts has not only proven himself capable of holding down the starting gig but he’s done so much more. Instead of facing a prove-it season, Hurts has entirely changed the narrative surrounding him, becoming the face of the franchise while becoming a viable MVP candidate.
His effort on Sunday in Week 8 against Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers was no different.
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Jalen Hurts puts forth career day against Pittsburgh
In what could have just as easily been a trap game, Hurts surgically sliced up the Steelers’ defense like a Halloween pumpkin. Hurts completed 19-of-28 passes for 285 yards, finding the end zone four times. Three of those passing touchdowns were to star receiver A.J. Brown.
Each of the passing touchdowns went for over 25 yards, and the four TD strikes are a new career high for Hurts.
It’s safe to say the Hurts to Brown connection is alive and well, proving the Eagles made the correct call to trade their first-round pick for the former Titans receiver. The two have connected 39 times for 659 yards and five touchdowns this season. Brown is now on pace for 1,600 receiving yards, which would also be a career-high for the receiver.
While the Steelers came into the matchup allowing the third-most passing yards per game, this is still a Tomlin-coached defense that features playmakers like Minkah Fitzpatrick, who’s always a threat to pick a ball off. Of course, their best player, T.J. Watt, is still sidelined with a torn pec.
Only, we didn’t see any threats from Pittsburgh on Sunday. Hurts was in control from start to finish and is well on track to earning a Pro Bowl nod. Yet, if today’s performance was any indication, he could be holding up some MVP hardware at the end of the year.
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