Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts earns praise from franchise legend

Everyone’s had some time to calm down, and there’s still a slight buzz. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts should be feeling pretty good about his Week 1 performance against the Atlanta Falcons. His ego should get an even bigger boost after hearing what a former franchise legend said about him.

That legend’s name is Donovan McNabb. Does that ring a bell? As most of you remember, he’s an eleven-year Eagles QB who threw for over 32,000 yards and 216 touchdowns and finished his career with six Pro-Bowls, all of which were earned during his time in Philly.

McNabb knows what it’s like to be front and center of the franchise much like Hurts is right now, and he lavished some glowing praise on the young quarterback on the Marks & Reese Show on Monday:

"He’s the grown man in the room. I thought he was poised, I thought he was relaxed, I thought he allowed the game to come to him instead of trying to press the issue, be perfect and try to prove a point. When people are going to watch Jalen Hurts, they are going to see a guy who is going to play the game the way the game is supposed to be played."

Read it again: Hurts is going to play the game the way the game is supposed to be played. That’s a little vague, but it gets the point across nonetheless. QB1 led the Birds’ offense to a 32-6 victory against the Falcons in which he threw for 264 yards, three touchdowns, and ran for 62 yards.

It was Hurts’ fifth start for the Eagles, and he earned an overall passer rating of 126.4. McNabb’s first passer rating that high came in his 21st career start, so Hurts is already above the curve when it comes to one Eagles’ quarterback predecessor.

Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is starting his own legacy in 2021

If Hurts’ 2020 record left more to be desired, in the season opener, Hurts delivered on all fronts. Head coach Nick Sirianni tailored this Eagles team with Hurts’ strengths in mind, and along with DeVonta Smith, Hurts easily dismantled the Atlanta side.

McNabb was blown away by Hurts’ tactical understanding that allowed him to “take advantage of the opportunities he was given” by the Falcons’ defense. Anyone watching could see that Hurts exercised total control over the game, playing as though he were a veteran starter.

At the rate he’s going, he will be. Since taking over the quarterback position last year, Hurts has racked up three games with 250 passing yards and 60 rushing yards.

When the Philadelphia Eagles franchise remained quiet all throughout offseason, refusing to declare Hurts the starter, many took it as a sign of distrust. Philly liked what they saw from Hurts at the time, but they were still looking sideways for perhaps a more seasoned quarterback.

Now, the front office can eat those words up.

Because Hurts was ‘only’ a second-rounder, he never got the star treatment that Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert have received in their respective cities. After his first season game, all that should change.

McNabb isn’t the only one who sees star potential in Jalen Hurts. So does his coach and teammates, and as the season progresses, the murmurs in Philly will only get louder. Hurts became the leader of this Eagles team a while ago — now, people are just starting to realize it.