Only a handful of quarterbacks in league history have reached the Super Bowl twice within their first four seasons as a starter.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts became one of those last season.
In part as a result, the reigning Super Bowl MVP has become one of the more difficult signal-callers to judge when it comes to evaluators.
On one hand, his 46-20 record is one of the best in the league since he became a starter in 2021.
On the other hand, his overall individual numbers don't stand out like those of other signal-callers like Joe Burrow, Josh Allen or NFC East rival Dak Prescott.
So what gives? Has Hurts reached his ceiling? What are fair expectations for Hurts as he enters his fifth season as a starter and sixth in the NFL?
In reality, Hurts' numbers are similar to Russell Wilson's when the former Seattle Seahawk began his career in 2012. Much like Hurts, Wilson reached the Super Bowl twice in the first four years of his career while
The numbers are notably similar as well. Hurts and Wilson shared a similar completion percentage, yards per game, and interception total.
After Seattle's Super Bowl appearances in 2013 and 2014, that organization relied on Wilson to throw the football more. The Wisconsin product proceeded to put up big numbers in the following years.
Maybe that is what Hurts will be asked to do in the future. ... as retaining some of its top talent at other positions will be harder as Philadelphia continues to win.
That will force Hurts to win games with his arm ... not just due to his legs and his leadership ability. If he can follow a trajectory similar to Wilson's (with more Super Bowl wins to boot), Hurts might be on a Hall-of-Fame trajectory.
A first step towards that mark will be in 2025 for the Eagles' title defense.