Eagles defense's words about Jalen Hurts are everything fans wanted to hear

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is in gut-check time with the franchise, as training camp is only the first step.

Hurts has a new offense to learn once again with a seventh play-caller he must build rapport with. It doesn't help that he has a plethora of new wide receivers and tight ends to throw it to as well to build chemistry with over the next few weeks.

That doesn't matter to anyone on the outside, though, because for them, Hurts is under more pressure than any other quarterback in the NFL entering 2026. While that might be a problem for most, Hurts is proving in training camp that nothing fazes him, as he appears to be getting comfortable in the offense. And his teammates and coaches see it too.

Jalen Hurts getting some high compliments at Eagles camp from defense

Over the last few days, the Eagles' defense has been speaking about what they are seeing from Hurts in training camp so far, and it appears the franchise quarterback is certainly leaving his mark. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio talked about something he is noticing in Hurts' game that is different from the past.

"Jalen's having a good camp," Fangio said via The Athletic's Zach Berman. "He looks faster. Obviously, we can't touch him during practice. There's always that debate whether you had him or not. There's been a few times where our guys think they had him and they really didn't. He's moving good and I think he's doing a nice job with the new offense. A lot's been made about him, all these coordinators he's been with, but it's basically been the same offense every year. This is different. He's done a great job with it."

Fangio isn't the only one who has noticed Hurts' speed. Two-time Pro Bowler Jalen Carter is saying the same thing.

"When I'm watching, and I'm running [after him], it's like a movie, it feels like I'm going slow. He be moving man," Carter said via NFL on ESPN.

Hurts' athletic ability has always been there, and he's been in the NFL since being a second-round pick in 2020. He has rushed for 3,554 yards and 63 touchdowns in his six-year NFL career, averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

Unfortunately, fans did not see Hurts use his legs as often as they would have liked last year, though. He only rushed for 421 yards and eight touchdowns; both were the second-lowest of his NFL career and the lowest he has hit since his rookie season in 2020.

Everyone wants to slam him for his ability to throw the football, but no one can deny how great he is when he runs the football. He's about as gifted a runner as any quarterback in the league. For him to be getting faster, though, should be a scary sight for defenses.

Last year, Hurts took some criticism for not being willing to run the ball more than he did. With him being faster in 2026, Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion is going to take full advantage of that and use his legs as another weapon in the winning game.

Read more: Position-by-position takeaways from Eagles' first unofficial depth chart

Eagles fans want to see Hurts run the football more in 2026 because they know it's the one weapon that just wasn't utilized often last year. If Hurts can get his groove back with running the ball while staying safe and protecting his body, this Eagles offense will truly be back to being a dangerous unit that won the Super Bowl two years ago.

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