4 Philadelphia Eagles bandwagons to hop on other than DeVonta Smith

It’s year three for the Eagles signal-caller. What’s next for Jalen Hurts?

We’ve heard Jalen Hurts‘ praises sung by teammates and coaches. We’ve seen the mention of his name split the fan base and media right down the middle. Both sides have presented valid arguments and/or concerns about why they feel the way that they do.

Franchise legends like Donovan McNabb have spoken up for him. We’ve looked around the rest of the NFL landscape, and we’ve seen Hall-of-Fame coaches do the same thing. Tony Dungy gave him the stamp of approval not too long ago.

Seeing the immediate success of Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow can be misleading. Burrow has led his team to football’s biggest game in year two, and that’s forced some to ask a question that many of you are, no doubt, pondering yourselves. Why hasn’t Hurts’ first 19 starts produced a similar narrative?

The fact of the matter is Mahomes, Herbert, and Burrow are exceptions to the rule, and that’s what makes them special. Quarterbacks are going to struggle. Every team that they face fields 11 men on defense and a defensive coaching staff that’s devised a plan to stop them.

It took time with Russell Wilson to become what he grew into. Dak Prescott had his ups and downs. Every great quarterback has, at some point, had their performance dissected. That includes Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Jalen Hurts isn’t the prototypical gunslinger, but he’s proven that he can win in this league. The next step is proving that he can go blow for blow with the heavyweights. No one questions his maturity or his leadership. All the questions are about seeing the field and some, at times, questionable decision-making.

Guess what? That’s why teams have coaches. QB1 just needs to string some wins together and look good while doing it. If he does, the narrative will change. It always does.