It still feels surreal. The Philadelphia Eagles are the freaking Super Bowl champions. Jalen Hurts was named as the game's MVP. Two months have passed, and most of us have finally moved past the urge to pinch ourselves and make sure this isn't a dream we're going to wake up from.
There's been a parade, and the Birds pick 32nd in the 2025 NFL Draft. Yep! This is real, and it's a good thing. I didn't want to wake up and realize I was dreaming, and the game still needed to be played.
We've seen the coolest Jordan commercial ever, Love Hurts. 'Hate you got it wrong?' Do you know how many times I've said that? Philly's QB1 has been on late-night talk shows and was even seen having a cigar with Michael Jordan in the flesh. It seemingly can't get any better than Jalen's winning streak.
Then again, mom always said 'Never say never'.
Jalen Hurts lands among Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2025
In a business like this, some platforms and publications need no introduction. Time Magazine is one of them, and they recently released their 2025 TIME100.
Being mentioned on that list means you've been named one of the 100 most influential people of 2025. Guess who made the cut. If you answered that by saying Jalen Hurts' name, give yourself a gold star.
An icon and on the @TIME list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2025.
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 16, 2025
That's Jalen Hurts.@JalenHurts | #TIME100 pic.twitter.com/pnl6b259Ct
This is the second time Jalen Hurts has been named on this list. Here's what MLB and New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter had to say about him in his write-up:
"I admire how great athletes deal with both success and failure. What Jalen Hurts went through in being benched during the 2018 National Championship game would break a lot of people down. But not Jalen; he focused on what he could control and found a new path to success. In the NFL, Jalen didn’t let a Super Bowl defeat in 2023 shake his confidence. He used that loss as motivation and kept a picture of himself walking off the field after losing as his phone lock screen."
No wait! There's more!
"This past February, Jalen found himself on the Super Bowl stage again. This time, he led Philadelphia to a convincing victory in its rematch with Kansas City. We connected shortly after, and the only thing he asked about was insight on going back and winning again. Sometimes people win, then exhale. Jalen is not exhaling. He’s embracing the next challenge. Win or lose, Jalen’s resilience and determination offer all of us something to admire."
Jeter, like Time Magazine, needs no introduction. He's a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, a 14-time All-Star (1998–2002, 2004, 2006–2012, 2014), a five-time World Series champion (1996, 1998–2000, 2009), a fove-time Gold Glove Award winner (2004–2006, 2009, 2010), and a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner(2006–2009, 2012).
He has also won the AL Hank Aaron Award twice (2006, 2009). Make no mistake. If someone gets this type of praise heaped on them by one of the G.O.A.T.s of baseball, they have to be doing something right.
We shouldn't be surprised by Jalen's recent honor. He's deserving and is a role model in every sense of the word. He's articulate and thoughtful. He's successful and generous. He's QB1 of one of the most famous and beloved football brands.
Congratulations Jalen. And, as Patrick Mahomes stated in the post-Super Bowl congratulatory handshake, "We're proud of you, dog. That's a hell of a way to do it. Go enjoy it." You deserve it!