The temperature around Jalen Hurts is always a few degrees warmer than it should be. When you’re the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, that’s your territory; that’s to be expected. In this city, you either move toward legendary status or you slide toward scrutiny. There is rarely anything in between. Maybe, but more often than not, Birds fans and the media covering their beloved team usually take extreme measures
What makes “Damage” compelling is the way the story is told so quickly or so quickly. Not long ago, he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy and received Super Bowl MVP honors.
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A few months later, his leadership skills were beyond doubt. A year later, we’re back to talking about job security. His key genes have been verified. Why is it so difficult to solidify him as a franchise cornerstone or validate anything else?
Part of the problem was an uneven season and another playoff exit in the wild-card round, his third in five seasons. This time, however, Philadelphia lost as the home favorite.
That’s why a recent article from ESPN is worth paying attention to. In his feature “Predicting All 32 NFL Starting Quarterbacks for the 2026 Season,” Hurts is, of course, projected to be Philadelphia’s starting quarterback. It’s not surprising, but the book’s author, Seth Wald, decided to add a warning label.
The tone surrounding this is certainly noteworthy.
“Hurts is just one year away from being a Super Bowl MVP quarterback, but his stock has fallen after a terrible 2025 season that saw him rank just 20th among quarterbacks. If he doesn’t improve in 2026, are we going to put him in a different category in this test next year? Given the Eagles’ track record, I’d wager so.”
That doesn’t sound like a compliment. It sounds more like stress.
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Ranking 20th in QBR isn’t disastrous, but it’s certainly not elite either, and “elite” is certainly Jalen Hurts’ bar right now. Fairly or not, he makes too much money to hover around “average.”
Once you win a championship and get paid like a franchise quarterback, consistency becomes non-negotiable. The margin for return is tightened. That’s why references to the Eagles’ “track record” can’t be dismissed as accidental.
The organization has indicated it will make bold decisions if it believes the cap is being lowered. They’ve moved on from Donovan McNabb and Carson Wentz. Emotions rarely override performance. The balancing reality is that Hurts has bought time, but that time may not extend beyond next season.
The 2026 regular season now becomes crucial. What’s more, 2026 is the final year of the five-year, $255 million contract Hurts signed two years ago. There’s a new offensive coordinator in town, and the conversation is shifting from “Can he win it all?” arrive “Can he maintain a consistent dominance?” This is a more stringent standard. Championships are now part of the Eagles’ DNA, and the city is already hungry for another one.
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This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Jalen Hurts could be the favorite entering the 2026 NFL season
