Philadelphia Eagles not rushing to name Jalen Hurts starter

The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to start Jalen Hurts in 2021. Still, they’re not giving him the title of starting quarterback just yet.

Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni says “there’s no rush” when speaking about naming Hurts or Joe Flacco the starting quarterback. He’s abstaining from the subject as Hurts attempts to earn the job himself.

“There’s just no rush there on having to do that,” Sirianni said during his press conference, per ProFootballTalk. “We just want him to continue to impress, and show like he has. We’re just not there yet.”

The former Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback is taking the first-team reps at training camp. Still, Sirianni won’t put a label on it. 

Whether the first-year head coach names Hurts the starter now or in September, the outcome remains the same. Still, the idea of the second-year quarterback earning the job is appealing to Sirianni.

Jalen Hurts in 2020

Throughout his rookie season, the idea of replacing Carson Wentz hung over Hurts head. Finally, Week 14 it came to fruition, as Hurts was named the starter for a game against the New Orleans Saints.

In his first start, Hurts impressed to the tune of 167 yards and a touchdown. Most importantly, his team was victorious, pulling a 24-21 upset over the Saints. The quarterback proved to Philadelphia what fans of Alabama and Oklahoma already knew, you can’t count him out.

Unfortunately, the Eagles would lose their final three games of the season, but Hurts was far from the culprit. He finished his rookie season with four starts, throwing for 1,061 yards and 6 touchdowns. In addition, Hurts did it with his legs as well, adding 354 yards and 3 touchdowns rushing the football. 

As he prepares for his sophomore season as the presumed starting quarterback, Hurts is also getting an old friend back. The Eagles drafted Hurts’ former teammate from Alabama, wide receiver Devonta Smith with the tenth overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. 

Who’s competing with Jalen Hurts?

After examining the competition, it would be surprising to see Hurts as anything aside from the Eagles starting quarterback in 2021. On the roster currently, Joe Flacco and Nick Mullens are competing with Hurts for the job.

First, Flacco is a former Super Bowl champion with the Baltimore Ravens, joining the Eagles after stints with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets. On the other hand, Mullens joins the Eagles after starting eight games for the San Francisco 49ers in 2020. 

While Hurts may be able to beat out Flacco and Mullens, rumors are persisting of the Eagles trading for disgruntled Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. In the same press conference, Sirianni touched on said rumors.

“I’m not going to talk about the hypotheticals with rumors,” he said, per NFL.com. “All I can tell you is that every decision that we make here is a group effort. How and his staff and myself, we’re working together to get the best 53 out on the field every Sunday.”

As rumors and competition surround Jalen Hurts, all he does is work. Nevertheless, anything other than him being the starting quarterback in 2021 may be a mistake.

Image courtesy of Mitchell Leff / Stringer via Getty Images