Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. (Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)
The Philadelphia Eagles haven’t named Jalen Hurts the starting quarterback yet, but head coach Nick Sirianni is going to have to eventually.
Jalen Hurts is the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. They just haven’t admitted it yet.
The second-year passer is competing for the starting job with Joe Flacco but it’s become increasingly clear he’s running away with the battle.
This week with the Eagles holding joint practices with the Jets ahead of their preseason game, Hurts has been pretty much perfect.
Hurts has thrown the ball cleanly with no interceptions. He’s found his receivers in the end zone and made time for them to get there.
Sure, it’s practice, but it’s also a sign that Hurts understands the offense well enough to lead it. The only way Sirianni was going to have a reason to bypass Hurts for Flacco was if Hurts blew it. He’s doing the opposite.
Jalen Hurts is taking hold of the Eagles starting QB job
The preseason hasn’t gone well for Philadelphia or either of their quarterback options.
Flacco went 10-of-17 for 178 yards and a touchdown in the opening game against the Steelers while Hurts was 3-of-7 for 54 yards.
The Patriots game was miserable for all involved on the Philadelphia side. Hurts didn’t play because of a stomach infection while Flacco was 10-of-17 for 83 yards with an interception and a quarterback rating of 46.9. The Eagles were shut out.
It’s not that Flacco couldn’t start games for an NFL team at this point. It’s that Hurts has a higher ceiling and has done enough to hold onto the starting role.
It’s going to be a long season for Sirianni and company. The sooner they admit Hurts is the guy the better equipped he’ll be to do the job.