Former NFL players attack league personnel over "disrespectful" Jalen Hurts ranking

Eagles fans feel heard right now.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Well, that escalated quickly.

ESPN released its quarterback rankings, compiled by surveying NFL executives, coaches, and scouts. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found himself ranked ninth on the list. This did not sit well with some on television.

Starting with FS1's James Jones, who spoke on The Facility and shared his very candid comments on Hurts' spot. Jones called it "disrespectful" that guys like Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert and Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels were ranked higher than Hurts.

"Looking at that, that's awful. You can think whatever you want to think about Jalen Hurts, but there should never be a list to where Justin Herbert is in front of Jalen Hurts. I don't really care about the type of talent and all that you're talking about. And then Jayden Daniels is going to be a superstar in this league. I truly believe that, but I cannot put him in front of Jalen Hurts who's been to two Super Bowls. He's had one good year. Do I think when all is said and done, could he possible be favored? Yes, absolutely, but right now, after one year? No. And then I see Justin Herbert at seven who hasn't won a playoff game. This boy has been to more Super Bowls than you won playoff games and we're talking about Justin Herbert's a better quarterback than him. I cannot do that. I think this is disrespectful to Jalen Hurts right here. This is an awful list."

Another example of the outrage came from ESPN's First Take as Damien Woody came to Hurts' defense to echo what Jones said about Herbert being head of Hurts.

"Super Bowl MVP at No. 9 and you've got Justin Herbert at 7," Woody said via Sports Illustrated. "I've always said about Justin Herbert, if you build a quarterback in a lab it would be Justin Herbert. He's that type of guy. He has everything that you want. He has the size, the arm, movement, skills. He has all of that. But what Jalen Hurts has is moments. When you need plays to be made, Jalen Hurts makes those plays."

"It's disrespectful having Jalen Hurts at No. 9."

Does Jones and Woody have a point?

Look, Herbert is a very talented quarterback who hasn't always had the supporting cast he has needed in Los Angeles, but it does seem odd that some within the league find him better than Hurts. In the postseason, Hurts is 6-3 and Herbert is 0-2.

People are going to use the same old lame excuse that Saquon Barkley did all the work for the Eagles last year. Eagles fans will recall that Barkley had 57 rushing yards on 25 carries in the Super Bowl. It was Hurts who carried Philly's offense to 40 points and a Super Bowl title with three touchdowns in the game and nearly 300 yards of total offense.

Herbert has come out flat in both his postseason games. His first playoff appearance was solid, but he was beat up and turned the ball over multiple times last year against the Houston Texans. He didn't complete the task.

It's way too soon to include Daniels in the conversation since he just joined the league last year, but technically, Daniels has a better resume than Herbert. That should show everything people need to know about Herbert.

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The Hurts discourse has been loud this offseason, but everyone in the Eagles fan base knows the truth and won't tolerate it anymore. Hurts is one of the best quarterbacks in the league—point blank, simple.