Jalen Hurts didn't put up the mind-blowing numbers we've become accustomed to seeing in the Philadelphia Eagles' Week 1 matchup with the New England Patriots. But last year's NFL MVP runner-up certainly did enough to help his team secure a win.
In the 25-20 victory, Hurts completed 22 of 33 passes for 170 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions while adding 37 rushing yards on nine carries, failing to find the end zone on the ground. And that's where our focus lies today: rushing touchdowns.
You see, while Hurts may not have scored a rushing touchdown on Sunday, he's still got a few weeks to break an impressive NFL record currently held by Cam Newton.
Allow me to explain.
Jalen Hurts is on the verge of breaking an NFL record currently owned by Cam Newton
Sunday marked the 46th NFL regular-season appearance for Jalen Hurts since the Eagles drafted him with the 53rd overall pick in 2020.
And in those 46 regular-season appearances, the 25-year-old has recorded 26 rushing touchdowns, already good for a tie for 21st among quarterbacks in NFL history. Not bad for a guy just starting his fourth season and just his third as the regular starter.
Cam Newton is the all-time leader in that category, scoring 75 during his 11-year career, 63 with the Carolina Panthers and a dozen with the New England Patriots.
Newton also holds the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback through his first 50 games, finding the end zone 28 times in that stretch.
Using simple math, you can see that if Hurts, who's already the only quarterback with double-digit rushing TDs in back-to-back seasons, records three rushing touchdowns in his next four games, he'll break Newton's record. And Philadelphia's schedule sets up nicely for him to do just that.
In Week 2, just as they did a year ago, the Eagles take on the Minnesota Vikings. Last year, Hurts notched a pair of rushing touchdowns in a 24-7 victory.
In Week 3, Philly will battle the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who allowed Hurts in the end zone twice on the ground in their last regular-season matchup in Week 6 of the 2021 season.
And in Week 4, the Eagles host the Washington Commanders. While Hurts failed to rush for a touchdown in their first meeting last year, he did find the end zone in their second matchup in Week 10, the game in which Philly's undefeated season ended despite No. 1 accounting for three total TDs.
So, things are certainly set up for Jalen Hurts to make some NFL history. And what would make his mark more impressive is the fact that he's only started 35 of his 46 regular-season appearances. Cam Newton, on the other hand, started every single one of his first 50 games.