Comparing 2 Philadelphia Eagles legends at QB to Jalen Hurts
![Jalen Hurts #2, Philadelphia Eagles (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Jalen Hurts #2, Philadelphia Eagles (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/c746682b4446ea97fe1c2d28d0413a7bf7d4f3338367e7d37d68b26a5fa1765b.jpg)
Philadelphia Eagles fans weren’t fans of McNabb right away
In 1999, The newly hired head coach Andy Reid wanted a new fresh face leading his offense at the quarterback position as the Eagles drafted Donovan McNabb second overall in the first round of that year’s NFL draft. The Eagles were happy with the pick, but most of Philly’s fans were not.
Reid had a plan for his young quarterback, don’t throw him to the wolves right away. Instead, he brought in Doug Pederson as the starter to serve as a mentor.
To get the rookie’s feet wet, Reid would put McNabb in late in games. In week nine of the 1999 season, McNabb took the starting job.
In his six games as the starter, he completed 50 percent of his passes and threw for 782 passing yards while tossing eight touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 231 yards in those six starts.
He didn’t make headlines for his arm, but he eventually figured out how to do so. The Philadelphia Eagles would soar to five NFC Championships with McNabb as their QB and even earned a Super Bowl appearance while Number 5 evolved from a scrambler to a pocket passer.
He ended his career with the Eagles with 32,873 passing yards, 216 touchdowns, 100 interceptions, 3,249 rushing yards, and 28 rushing touchdowns and became the owner of a ton of Eagles passing records in the process.