This is a spot that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has been in time and time again, with the team being overlooked by the rest of the world, but one coach on the opposite side isn't about to make that mistake.
The Eagles are getting ready to play the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card, marking the first meeting between the two teams since Philly was blown out by San Francisco in 2023. 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was asked about facing Hurts, and based on his experience, Saleh knows it's not going to be easy to rattle him.
"You can't faze him," Saleh said via Philadelphia sports and news anchor Jeff Skversky. "You know, got a chance to practice against him way back at the Jets. The young man's got elite presence and damn good football player."
Jalen Hurts thrives off of moments like these
Hurts has been one of the most successful quarterbacks in the postseason over the last five years, with a 6-3 record as the starting quarterback. He's completed 66.8% of his passes in the nine playoff games for 1,813 yards and 10 touchdowns to three interceptions, adding another 381 rushing yards and 10 more scores on the ground.
Everyone is going to have their criticism of Hurts as a pure passer, with the world believing he has limitations as a quarterback. There might be some truth to that, but having the intangibles to win the big games is something that can't be coached, and Hurts does that better than most quarterbacks in the NFL.
Football fans won't see the usual star quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow in the playoffs for the 2025 season. Hurts, though, is in it and there's a reason for it: he's a winner through and through.
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At the end of the day, Eagles fans have been saying it for years, and the haters don't want to hear it, but we only care about Hurts being a winner because that's what he's best at. Let's keep it that way.