Jalen Hurts Reflects on Backlash When He Was Drafted by Eagles with Carson Wentz QB1

After leading the Philadelphia Eagles to Super Bowl 57 in just his second season as a starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts was able to look back on the initial reaction he received when the team drafted him in 2020.

Speaking to ESPN's Tim McManus, Hurts noted there were people who "probably didn't even want" me to be drafted because the Eagles had Carson Wentz.

"It was a big surprise to many," he added. "My favorite [Bible] verse, I went through a lot of stuff in college and it kind of stuck with me, John 13:7: 'You may not know now but later you'll understand.' Hopefully people understand."

Coming off a successful college career that started at Alabama and ended at Oklahoma, Hurts was considered a high-upside developmental quarterback.

NFL draft analyst Matt Miller wrote Hurts "won't be a fit for everyone," but "his work at Alabama and Oklahoma plus conversations with coaches and scouts suggest he's capable of evolving on the go like a Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen."

The Eagles were coming off an NFC East title in 2019 with Wentz as their quarterback. He played well with 4,039 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, a 63.9 completion percentage and a 62.8 QBR.

It seemed like Philadelphia believed in Wentz as the long-term starter, because he signed a four-year, $128 million extension with more than $107 million guaranteed in June 2019.

WalterFootball.com wrote this when the Eagles used the No. 53 pick in the 2020 draft to select Hurts:

"What the hell is this? Unless the Eagles have a trade lined up where they can ship Jalen Hurts, this makes absolutely no sense, and I think Howie Roseman has lost his mind. There's no reason to take a quarterback here, period, with Carson Wentz not even in his prime yet. And yet, this is a major reach. Jalen Hurts' ceiling is very low, so he should've been a fourth-round pick. This is the worst pick of the draft so far unless a trade is pending."

After a 3-8-1 record in their first 12 games of the 2020 season, Wentz was benched by head coach Doug Pederson. Hurts started the final four games and showed some of his upside with 1,061 passing yards and 361 rushing yards.

Wentz was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in March 2021 for two draft picks, including a 2022 first-rounder that ultimately led to the Eagles being able to make the deal for A.J. Brown.

When Nick Sirianni took over as head coach for the 2021 season, Hurts remained the starting quarterback. He made strides with 3,144 passing yards, 784 rushing yards and helped the Eagles make the playoffs as a wild-card team.

General manager Howie Roseman made moves to surround his young quarterback with better talent. He drafted 2020 Heisman winner DeVonta Smith with the No. 10 overall pick in 2021 and traded for Brown.

Now, Hurts is coming off a fantastic season and is a finalist for the NFL MVP award. He is 16-1 in 17 starts and has the Eagles one win away from their second Super Bowl title in the past six years.