Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts seems to be a polarizing figure in the NFL for some reason, as everyone has an opinion on him.
Most in the media like to be in on criticizing Hurts as a starting quarterback, but there are those who defend him, as he has proven to be a winner with a Super Bowl title on his resume. CBS Sports writer Bryan DeArdo seems to be on Hurts' side as he recently shared that the Eagles QB is considered to be in Tier 2 among NFL quarterbacks in "Borderline Stars," alongside 12 others.
"Hurts, despite his status as a Super Bowl MVP (along with being the linchpin behind one of the most successful albeit controversial plays in NFL history), is seldom mentioned among the game's elite quarterbacks. That would have to change, however, if Hurts brings the Eagles back to the big game with a new receiving corps that no longer includes A.J. Brown."
Should Jalen Hurts be considered among the elite in 2026?
Last season was not perfect for Hurts as he completed just 64% of his passes and threw for under 200 yards in multiple games. There were two games in which he didn't complete a single pass in the second half, and he, ironically, won both.
Hurts still found a way to lead the Eagles to the postseason for the fifth straight season and had a career-high 25 touchdown passes. He was selected to his third Pro Bowl of his career as the Eagles won the NFC East division title for the second year in a row.
Everyone tries to make last season out like it was this horrendous year for Hurts when it really wasn't. Yes, there were some inconsistencies, but he protected the ball well; for the most part, he made sure he was not the reason his team lost.
DeArdo only had five quarterbacks in the first tier for elite status, so for Hurts to be left out of that, it would be fair for the moment, as he shouldn't be considered in the top five. As for the top 10, Hurts has more than earned that right, at least with being a consistent winner, being a great athlete, and not turning the ball over.
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Hurts is a great quarterback who continues to not get the respect he deserves. 2026 is going to be a make-or-break year for the signal-caller to finally shut the critics up without A.J. Brown and lead the Eagles on another playoff run because he is that good.
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