Eagles Rumors: Jalen Hurts Is 'the Most Athletic Player on the Field,' Says NFL Exec
November 22, 2021
Jalen Hurts has the Philadelphia Eagles back in the playoff hunt, and opposing teams are taking notice of the quarterback's impact on the field.
"The quarterback is hard to defend and the most athletic player on the field, who is hard to tackle," an NFL executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic.
Hurts showcased this ability in Sunday's win against the New Orleans Saints, totaling 69 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
NFL @NFLJALEN HURTS.<br><br>3 rushing TDs on the day! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlyEaglesFly?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FlyEaglesFly</a><br><br>📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NOvsPHI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NOvsPHI</a> on FOX<br>📱: NFL app <a href="https://t.co/jLi51cKEI4">pic.twitter.com/jLi51cKEI4</a>
The second-year quarterback has 618 rushing yards and eight touchdowns this season to go with his 2,306 passing yards and 13 passing touchdowns.
The Oklahoma product's play has helped the Eagles win three of the last four games, improving to 5-6 after a 2-5 start to the year. As Sando noted, Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni changed his approach from being pass-heavy to a run-first strategy that utilizes Hurts' strength as a runner.
"They figured it out," another executive said. "Some coaches try to do everything instead of figuring out what your team does best and doing that."
Though some have questioned the 2020 second-round pick as a franchise quarterback, the 23-year-old has showed in recent weeks he can be the team's future.
