With everything going on with the Philadelphia Eagles offense, quarterback Jalen Hurts not running the ball nearly as much as he has in the past is really starting to hurt this offense.
Before the season, there was talk about what the Eagles' offense would look like with Sean Mannion as offensive coordinator. One hope was that Mannion would call more RPOs and Hurts would run the ball more, because that is how this offense has succeeded over the years.
Well, 2026 is showing that, once again, Hurts isn't running the ball. If Eagles fans thought he wasn't nearly doing enough of that last year, this season is actually somehow worse.
Examining the alarming trend of Jalen Hurts running less in Eagles' offense
Last season, the biggest criticism of Hurts was that he was not running the ball enough. Reports said that, because of past injuries, he wanted to run the ball less to take fewer hits. Hurts continually said publicly that he was willing to do whatever it takes for the team to win, and his head coach, Nick Sirianni, backed him up.
That chatter has returned somewhat in 2026, but this time the stats back up the fact that Hurts simply isn't running the ball at all. Through five games this season, he has 23 carries for 107 yards and one touchdown. Philly's offense averages 262.2 yards per game (ranked 31st) and is averaging 91.6 rushing yards per game (ranked 23rd).
Let's compare those to last year's numbers over the first five games. Hurts rushed 43 times for 182 yards and three touchdowns in the first five games of 2025. As for the Eagles' offense, through five games in 2025, with the same stats as 2026, Philly was averaging 261.6 yards per game and 99.8 rushing yards per game
While the offense was slightly worse overall last year than in 2026, the rushing attack took a massive dip by 8.2 yards per game. Why? Hurts' lack of running the football.
Look at Hurts' rushing attempts over the years with the Eagles (stats via Word On The Bird):
- 2021: 9.26
- 2022: 11.0
- 2023: 9.23
- 2024: 10.0
- 2025: 6.56
- 2026: 4.60
2026 suggests either Mannion refuses to call more Hurts running plays, or the quarterback himself doesn't want to. The evidence clearly shows this offense cannot function if Hurts doesn't have the ball in his hands and running with it.
Week 5 Jaguars loss was the tipping point to see Jalen Hurts not running for Eagles
During the Eagles' 19-17 Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, Hurts had two carries for two yards. He entered the game with a calf injury, so many thought that was why. Mannion was asked about Hurts' lack of running during his press conference on Tuesday, and it appears the calf had less to do with it than the game plan.
"I think we're always looking for ways to integrate him into the run game," Mannion said via The Athletic's Zach Berman. "Some of it's dependent on the opponent and the fronts they're giving us, the looks you're getting. But like I've said in here before, it's a unique trait that he has that makes him dangerous. Some of them are designed, some of them are kind of the off-schedule plays. I think he's had a good feel for that in terms of when to take off and run. He had some big plays early in the year, first few weeks, of using his legs in the pass game, kind of those off-schedule scrambles. So, there's a place for both of them. I think he's found a nice balance of that."
No, he certainly has not found the right balance, but continue on Mannion.
"I think each week presents a different challenge, and we're going to do whatever we can each week to go and win the game. We felt like this week we were a little bit more pass-oriented. Some of that is intentional. Some of it's just how the game plays out and the adjustments you're making in-game. We want to be an offense that is balanced and can attack you in the run game and the pass game. Then, within the game, within the week, the opponent that you're facing, your personnel, there can be little tweaks along the way that lead to a different end result in terms of your run-pass balance."
Sean Mannion on using Jalen Hurts as a runner: "I think we're always looking for ways to integrate him into the run game. Some of it's dependent on the opponent and the fronts they're giving us, the looks you're getting. But like I've said in here before, it's a unique trait that…
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) October 13, 2026
Something is missing from Mannion's comments because it's clear that Hurts running the football improves the rushing attack. When Saquon Barkley isn't playing, Hurts is the team's best runner.
Yes, the offensive line is banged up and in much worse shape than they were in 2025. That doesn't mean Hurts can have designed outside runs to take pressure off the young interior guards. Because of that, the passing game needs quicker passes, but the Eagles have to find a way to run the ball more.
Read more: New data perfectly sums up Eagles' 2026 season (and vindicates Nick Sirianni)
Ultimately, it's on Mannion to figure out how to get Hurts more involved in the running game, and Hurts has to help Mannion make it happen. Without Hurts' leg, this Eagles offense is doomed and will not be able to climb out of the hole they're in.
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