Subscribe
Follow Us
Heading into the 2021-2022 season, the Philadelphia Eagles weren't expected to get very far. It was the first year of the team's rebuild under first-year head coach Nick Sirianni and first-year starting quarterback Jalen Hurts. They well exceeded fans' expectations, came out of the regular season with a winning record, and even had a short-lived playoff run.
Sirianni proved to be a much better head coach than originally anticipated. His first few press appearances weren't the most encouraging, but he eventually got the hang of it. Besides, Philadelphia has arguably the toughest media group to deal with in the NFL.
Both Sirianni's and Hurts' progression were vital to the Eagles' success this season, but many people are only crediting the coach. Much like the situation between Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns, Hurts' career is being questioned during the 2022 NFL Offseason.
However, the Eagles would be foolish to move on from Hurts right now after labeling him as “their guy.” The young quarterback provided growth this season and built relationships as the leader of this team. None of this should be taken for granted, and the Eagles need to take a chance and see how Hurts tackles his second season as the leader.
Sirianni and Eagles' general manager Howie Roseman praised Hurts after the season came to an end. They both said that the 23-year-old did enough to keep his position of QB1 for the upcoming season, so things should stay that way. When an organization says one thing and pursues another, that's when drama and rumors start. An infamous Philadelphia quarterback controversy is inevitable if the Eagles begin to look at other quarterbacks this offseason.
Roseman and Sirianni didn't say all of those nice things about Hurts for no reason. It was all warranted and he deserves the credit that few people are giving him. He led the league as the quarterback with the most rushing yards in the regular season with 139 attempts and 784 total yards.
Article Continues Below
The young quarterback finished the regular season with a 61.3 completion percentage with 3,144 passing yards and 16 touchdown passes. Hurts also led the league as the quarterback with the most rushing touchdowns with ten in 16 games.
Hurts already went through a tremendous amount of growth in his first year as the Eagles' QB1. However, the team has the chance to expedite his growth even more.
The Eagles are the only team in the NFL to have three first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. They were able to pick up wide receiver DeVonta Smith in the 2021 NFL Draft, and he quickly became Hurts' favorite offensive weapon. Philadelphia holds the 15th, 16th, and 19th overall picks this year, which means that they can build a stacked roster around Hurts.
Many people think that the Eagles should consider trading one or two of these draft picks to acquire a veteran quarterback like Jimmy Garoppolo or Russell Wilson. However, Hurts has built a strong relationship with the young guys coming into this team, as well as the veterans who plan on retiring within the next few years. He has leadership qualities that are almost unheard of at his age, and these attributes will only grow stronger as he works with his team. Bringing a different quarterback into Philadelphia would cause nothing but chaos within the locker room, on the game-day field, and throughout the fanbase.
