3 key areas of improvement for Jalen Hurts in 2024

Jalen Hurts is already a very good NFL quarterback. but that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement, especially after a disappointing campaign like the one Hurts and the Eagles turned in last season. With some minor improvements, Hurts could potentially take his game -- and the Eagles -- to the next level.

Here's a look at three key areas of improvement for Hurts in 2024.

Turnovers

Over the course of his first two seasons as a full-time starter in 2021 and 2022, Hurts was lauded for how well he took care of the ball. Over those two seasons, he had 15 total interceptions with an average interception percentage of 1.7.

Unfortunately, that trend didn't carry over to last season, as Hurts threw as many interceptions (15) as he had the previous two seasons combined. Only Sam Howell and Josh Allen tossed more picks than Hurts last season. Hurts' interception percentage also increased to 2.8.

When you factor in his nine fumbles, Hurts' turnover total for the '23 campaign was 24 -- fourth-highest in the entire NFL behind only Howell, Allen and Trevor Lawrence. That needs to change next season.

Moving forward, Hurts needs to again prioritize ball protection. That means being more careful in his throws and also doing a better job of holding onto the ball when contact occurs. Hurts has already proven that he can be an extremely productive player while simultaneously limiting his turnovers, so it shouldn't be too difficult for him to get back to that.

Rushing

Part of what made Hurts so dynamic early on in his career was his ability to deflate defenses both as a passer and a runner. His ability to beat teams both through the air and on the ground works to keep Philadelphia's offense unpredictable and opposing defenses on their toes, and he got away from that a bit last season.

Hurts had over 750 rushing yards in both 2021 and 2022, and he averaged over 50 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry during those two seasons. That production dipped dramatically in 2023 when Hurts tallied 605 rushing yards with an average of 35.6 yards per game and 3.9 yards per attempt.

Whether it was Brian Johnson's system, a nagging knee injury, or a combination of both, Hurts just didn't look quite like the same explosive runner last season, but the hope is that was an anomoly and not the new norm.

Sacks

For an extremely athletic and mobile quarterback, Hurts still gets sacked a lot. He was tackled behind the line of scrimmage with the ball 36 times last seson and 38 times the year before. That's basically twice a game. Sacks stall drives and kill momentum, and Hurts needs to do a better job of avoiding them moving forward, either with his legs or by getting rid of the football quicker in potential sack situations.