Eagles' Jalen Hurts Shaded by Bucs Legend Lavonte David in Video, 'Never a Guy We Worried About'

Retired linebacker Lavonte David said his Tampa Bay Buccaneers were never particularly worried about Jalen Hurts as a passer during his NFL career.

"You gotta be where you're supposed to be to stop the run," he said on The Arena: Gridiron show. "And then, that may open up the passing game, but [Hurts] was never asked to do so much in their passing game. You had A.J. Brown with his route concepts, you get him the ball, you've got DeVonta Smith, get him the ball. You've got Dallas Goedert, got to get him the ball. But [Hurts] was never asked to do so much."

Hurts has come under some fire this offseason after the Philadelphia Eagles' dreadful 2025 campaign on the offensive side of the ball. The Birds ranked 23rd in passing offense (194.3 YPG) and 19th in scoring (22.3 PPG) and their struggles on that side of the ball was a recurrent storyline.

Granted, Hurts wasn't the only factor in those struggles. The offensive line dealt with injuries throughout the season, the running game was a shell of its dominant self from 2024 and first-time offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo never seemed to quite have a feel for the role (although how much Hurts may have impacted that by checking into his preferred plays and route concepts at the line of scrimmage has been another storyline).

The Eagles completely reworked their offensive staff this offseason, hoping to regain the magic from 2024. That will require Hurts buying into a new scheme and showing trust in new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. His two Super Bowl appearances in the past is a reminder of the upside both Hurts and the Eagles possess, but change is required in the 2026 campaign.