Is Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts a ‘supporting-cast merchant?’ Has he been carried to success by his ultra-talented offensive line and the super-group of explosive play-makers the team has surrounded him with?
Not in his head coach’s opinion.
‘I think that’s bulls—,’ Sirianni said of the narrative, according to reports. ‘I mean, he plays the most important position in all sports, and it’s the most ultimate team game there is. And what I admire about him is his selflessness of doing anything we need to do to win.
‘Anybody who plays quarterback is going to want to throw it 50 times a game. But he’ll do anything. If he has to throw 50 times a game, he’s ready to do that. If he has to hand it off 50 times a game, he’s ready to do that.’
As is often the case after a team wins the Super Bowl, the Eagles’ quarterback has been the subject of criticism from fans and analysts alike.
The gravitational pull of running back Saquon Barkley’s prowess moved Philadelphia’s offensive focus toward its run game and away from the pass in 2024. Hurts’ 361 pass attempts and 2,903 passing yards were both career-low marks since he took over as the Eagles’ full-time starter in 2021.
Regardless of how it happened, the Eagles won the Super Bowl earlier this year. Hurts won Super Bowl MVP after completing more than 77% of his pass attempts and scoring three touchdowns – two in the air and one on the ground.
‘Anytime I hear (criticism of Hurts), it’s cool, it’s like a nice debate thing that people like to have,’ Sirianni said. ‘And I get it, there’s a lot of hours that TV shows and radio stations have to fill to be able to fill that debate. I understand that, but we’re talking about the ultimate team game there is and he does whatever he needs to do to win each and every game.’
Sirianni went on to point out other quarterbacks, who are considered ‘great’ irrespective of the immense level of talent around them: Tom Brady with Rob Gronkowski and Steve Young with Jerry Rice being a couple of specific examples.
‘I just think sometimes that’s good debate, I guess. I wouldn’t even say it’s good debate, but it’s debate that people are able to have. But yeah, I guess, my first initial thing was it’s bulls—.’