3 Reasons Jalen Hurts will remain the Eagles starter in 2022
By Ryan Loftus
If the Eagles decide against Jalen Hurts, the QB market features slim pickings.
There are not many quarterbacks entering free agency this season, which has led people to believe that washed-up players like Marcus Mariota or Mitchell Trubisky, both former first-round picks, will find starting jobs next season.
Just take the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Joe Starkey’s take as an example. He analyzed a Twitter user’s comment that listed Trubisky as the #1 option for the Steelers at QB next season. Starkey disagreed with the take but did acknowledge that he wasn’t close to labeling Trubisky as a bust.
There are five Week 1 starters that will be free agents next year: Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Washington), Andy Dalton (Chicago Bears), Tyrod Taylor (Houston Texans), Jameis Winston (New Orleans Saints), and Teddy Bridgewater (Denver Broncos).
Current starters Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers) and Trevor Siemian (Saints) are also set to be free agents. Winston and Bridgewater may not make it to free agency, but none of the other guys on that list seem like viable options for replacing Hurts.
Then, there’s the draft. The top five QBs in the draft according to PFF’s Top 100 are #16 Matt Corral (Ole Miss), #20 Kenny Pickett (Pitt), #31 Sam Howell (UNC), #35 Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati), and #38 Malik Willis (Liberty). The Philadelphia Eagles could potentially nab Pickett or Howell or even trade up to select Corral. The top three quarterbacks are in reach, but all of these guys are boom-or-bust options.
Nothing is absolute in the NFL, and the argument can be made that, with what’s available, the Eagles are better off staying with Jalen Hurts.