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The Philadelphia Eagles' offseason activities (OTAs) run through June 8, and already there are several key storylines. Chief among them is the play of Jalen Hurts, the superstar quarterback whose play has improved by leaps and bounds.
According to NFL reporter Dov Kleiman, the Eagles organization expects Hurts to take a “major leap” this season. The team believes he can become an “elite, precision-type pocket passer,” adding to his diverse array of skills.
Hurts became the NFL's highest paid player this offseason, signing a $255 million extension through 2028. The former Alabama Crimson Tide and Oklahoma Sooners quarterback threw for 3,701 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions last season.
His completion percentage of 66.5% placed him 11th in the league.
The Eagles franchise believes that running back D'Andre Swift, added in a trade with Detroit, can improve the passing game. Swift caught 48 passes for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Lions last season. Philadelphia believes Swift can take pressure off of Hurts by giving him more easy throws with big-play potential. The Eagles did not have a running back with more than 23 catches last season.
Hurts is said to be in better physical condition so far in OTAs. He led the team to 14 wins and a Super Bowl appearance while finishing second in MVP voting last season. According to Next Gen Stats, he had the third-highest grade among deep passers in 2022.
Safety Terrell Edmonds, who spent the past five seasons with Pittsburgh, said he's been impressed so far.
“He’s super smart,” Edmunds said. “You can just tell the way he diagnoses a play, what he’s looking at, what kind of keys that he’s trying to check for. And he’s trying to eye control the safety so he can get you off leverage and everything. He’s just a smart guy. He’s as advertised, and he goes out there every day with that hard hat on.”