By James A. Tatum
Sideline Sports Network
The Philadelphia Eagles came up short against the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 38-35, but it was still a season to remember for the Eagles’ 3rd year QB.
After Jalen Hurts had a playoff debut to forget in the 2021 wildcard game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hurts was 23-43 just 258 yards and a touchdown, two interceptions and a QBR of just 24 in the 31-15 loss.
At this point, a lot of the media, fans, and radio/tv personalities truly wondered if Jalen Hurts was made of the right stuff. Did he really have what it took to become the franchise quarterback the Philadelphia Eagles were looking for? The Eagles seemed to be linked to every quarterback under the sun, whether it was Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, or one of the rookies from the 2022 draft class. With all of that said, one thing is certain- Jalen Hurts rose to the occasion during the 2022 season and answered all questions his critics had about him.
Hurts in 15 regular season games passed for 3,701 yards, 22 passing touchdowns to just 6 interceptions. Hurts also ran for 760 yards on the ground and 13 rushing touchdowns. His completion percentage also jumped from 61.3% in 2021 to 66.5% in 2022. Jalen Hurts got better in every possible way he could in 2022 and that is the primary reason the Eagles’ went on a Super Bowl run.
It will be interesting to see what’s next for Hurts after coming just a few plays away from leading the Eagles to their 2 nd Super Bowl championship. Hurts went 27 for 38, passing for 304 and a touchdown and running for 70 yards on the ground and a tied a Super Bowl record 3 rushing touchdowns set by Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis. This Super Bowl loss will surely sting for the Eagles throughout the off-season, but one thing is for certain, Jalen Hurts left everything on the line in Super Bowl LVII. Hurts said in an interview that he is going to be “Hungrier than ever” heading into his fourth NFL season, so what’s next for Jalen Hurts? That remains to be seen, but one thing we can all walk away from this season with is knowing that the Philadelphia Eagles have found themselves a franchise quarterback who will have them in position to contend for years to come.
