Eagles' Recent Skid Is Making Jalen Hurts' Future in Philadelphia Unclear

Jalen Hurts might end up being a victim of circumstances in Philadelphia. 

Hurts' Eagles have stumbled to a 1-3 start, but that's just one part of the equation that makes his future outlook as the team's long-term starter murky. 

Much of it has to do with capital—draft capital. 

As one of 10 teams with only a single win after four games, the Eagles project to boast a first-round pick in the top 10 of 2022 NFL draft. That alone would put Hurts in a precarious position, especially if he isn't doing enough on the field to quell long-term concerns. 

But that's not the only draft outcome in the mix. 

When the Eagles traded down in last year's first round with Miami, it seemed like a smooth way to add an extra pick from a contender, not something that would produce an additional top-five pick. Yet the Dolphins are also off to a 1-3 start and project to have just that. So far, Miami hasn't looked like a team about to right that ship anytime soon, especially while starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is out with an injury. 

And that's not all. When the Eagles traded away Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts they got back a conditional second-round pick that becomes a first-rounder if he plays 75 percent of the snaps (or 70 percent and a playoff berth). Wentz has played nearly every snap so far for a 1-3 Colts team that just won in Week 4, so for now, there's little chance the Colts bench Wentz in an AFC South where the division-leading Tennessee is 2-2. 

So that's three possible first-round picks, and at least two of them on pace to pay off big time for the Eagles. And while the idea of using those assets to surround Hurts with premium talent is a great one, there's also going to be the never-ending allure of adding a top-10 passer at the position. 

The question is, has Hurts done enough to stave off these thoughts? Through four games, he's completed 66.2 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and two interceptions, averaging a healthy eight yards per attempt while also taking eight sacks. 

It looked like the Eagles had something special with their 2020 second-round pick in Week 1, as Hurts exploded out of the gates with three touchdowns and no picks in a 32-6 thumping of a bad Atlanta team. 

Hurts came back down to Earth in Week 2, a 17-11 loss to San Francisco in which he passed for 190 yards on 12 completions. He threw for 300-plus yards in each of his next two games but struggled to keep pace with both Dallas (41-21 loss) and Kansas City (42-30 defeat). 

It's fair to reach back into Hurts' rookie season to provide necessary numbers, given his small sample size. Technically, he's accounted for 17 total touchdowns, six interceptions, 2,228 passing yards and nearly 500 rushing since last December. While wins aren't necessarily a quarterback stat, he's also 2-6 as a starter over that stretch.

Some of this isn't on Hurts. His offensive line hasn't been the best and new head coach Nick Sirianni isn't living up to his offensive reputation. Star running back Miles Sanders has just 37 carries despite averaging 4.6 yards per attempt and was outrushed by Hurts in that Week 4 loss. 

But that's not the sort of context that will matter if the Hurts-led Eagles flop this year and sit in a position to take a top-of-class passer. The conversation will be a second-round product who couldn't avoid a bad record vs. a premium first-round prospect. And that's a conversation Hurts loses, both in public perception and probably in the Philadelphia front office. 

Whether that unfolds will hinge on if the Eagles can turn things around in the coming weeks. Week 5 is a road game against a 3-1 Carolina team that allows just 16.5 points per game, the league's third-best mark. Week 6 is a visit from Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before a Week 7 road trip to face the 3-1 Las Vegas Raiders and an offense that didn't score fewer than 26 points in each of its first three games. 

Dangerous Denver, New Orleans and Los Angeles Chargers teams also remain on the slate, as do five NFC East games. That division already features Dallas sprinting out to a 3-1 lead and playoff contender Washington sitting at 2-2. 

However, some onlookers, such as NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, love what Hurts has put on film so far:

It's important to remember that Hurts is effectively in his rookie season right now as he adapts to the pro game as a starter. The question becomes whether he shows enough to convince the Eagles to ignore the position entirely while sitting on potentially three first-rounders.

Maybe it all clicks into place for Hurts as the play-calling around him improves and the Eagles get back on track. But he's been just erratic enough—with underthrows, locking onto first reads—that there is room for doubt. If he's not making a convincing argument in the coming weeks and months, the Eagles are in a rare spot from a draft-capital perspective. 

What could throw a wrench in all this is the 2022 draft class itself. The quarterback class doesn't appear to have that can't-miss prospect like a Joe Burrow or Trevor Lawrence. But it's too early to say a top name like that won't emerge, and even if the class is a ho-hum-looking one, the Eagles sitting on three first-rounders could encourage them to at least draft a guy they can sit for a year while Hurts gets one last chance to reach his possible ceiling. 

Had the Eagles not stumbled out of the gate, Hurts' future wouldn't be a discussion. But that impact on the draft standings, plus the current status of their other high-profile draft assets, has created a perfect storm of speculative eyebrow-raising at Hurts each time he lines up under center for the rest of the season.