Jalen Hurts Struggles Opens Door for Eagles to Draft Replacement

Could the Eagles Draft Jalen Hurts’ Replacement This Offseason?

In the days after the Eagles’ gut-wrenching loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler had this to say regarding Hurts and his future in Philadelphia:

“Some people around the league were starting to think the Eagles might draft a quarterback high in 2026 even before Jalen Hurts’ four-interception performance Monday. The prediction from those folks: GM Howie Roseman snags a passer on Day 2, allowing Hurts to serve as the starter in 2026 while having a future starter to develop. “[The Eagles] will do to Jalen what they did to Carson Wentz,” one industry source predicted.

The Eagles know that their passing game struggles largely because Hurts has limitations. The reality is the 2024 season was an aberration because Saquon Barkley and a dominant O-line were breaking off big gains weekly, opening up play-action and downfield shots for the passing game. This isn’t the same offensive line, which means the Barkley gains aren’t as frequent. That places the spotlight on Hurts, for better or worse. We saw the good in glimpses against the Chargers — an 11-play drive late in the first half was run-heavy and set up a pair of 11-yard completions for Hurts. But the game featured Hurts in straight dropback situations often, and that can lead to problems.”

Hurts’ Time in Philadelphia Limited?

The Philadelphia Eagles have navigated a similar situation before. As previously mentioned, the Eagles drafted Hurts while they had Wentz under contract long-term. The unpredictability of Roseman can never be overstated. If there is one thing Roseman will do, it is that he would rather move on from players early than late. It’s happened before with Wentz. It wouldn’t be shocking if it happened again with Hurts. On the other hand, Roseman could draft a quarterback without having him in mind as the starter. It’s important to consider the big picture with Jalen Hurts. Hurts has been playing really bad football lately. He is not seeing the field, making poor decisions, and isn’t being accurate with the football. He even reduced his role in the offense’s rushing attack. There is no excuse for the level of play he has had lately, and he needs to turn it around. This team can not contend for a Super Bowl with how he is currently playing. On the other hand, Jalen Hurts is already the most accomplished quarterback in Eagles history. In his first four seasons as a starter, the team has made the playoffs every year, appeared in two Super Bowls, and won one of them. In that span, Hurts has been the Super Bowl MVP and an All-Pro QB. There are no excuses for his current level of play, and he needs to be held accountable for it. But a quarterback as decorated as Hurts has earned himself some grace, given his track record. QBs like Hurts don’t just grow on trees. Nobody should be thinking about replacing him solely based on a few poor games.