Imagine sinking the winning putt at Augusta, only to hear whispers you got lucky with the wind. Or hitting a walk-off homer in the World Series, yet somehow landing below rookies on the All-Star ballot.
That’s the kind of head-scratching vibe floating around the NFL this week. Pete Prisco dropped his annual Top 100 players list over at CBS Sports, a tradition as summer-ready as ballpark hot dogs. But something about this year’s quarterback pecking order feels... off. Way off. Especially if your address is the NovaCare Complex.
The bombshell? Eagles Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts landed at number 52. Worse, he sits behind seven other quarterbacks. That list includes sophomores like Washington’s Jayden Daniels, ranked a full 19 spots higher at 33. Daniels, mind you, lost twice to Hurts last season, including a 55-23 NFC Championship drubbing.
"He fits perfectly into the Eagles' scheme," Prisco wrote of Hurts. "His improvement in the postseason catapulted the Eagles to their Super Bowl title."
Yet, apparently, that wasn't worth top-50 status. Besides, this feels like déjà vu for Philly fans.
Hurts, fresh off hoisting the Lombardi and setting Super Bowl records (most QB rushing yards ever? Check. Youngest to win MVP and a college title? Check.), constantly battles perception. Remember Chris Simms ranking him 10th among QBs just weeks ago? Or the local radio guy slotting him outside Philly's top 11 athletes?
Hurts just delivered the city its second ring in three appearances under his command. His February performance was a masterclass: 293 total yards, three touchdowns, and ice in his veins against Patrick Mahomes. So, what gives?
Is it the "Saquon Effect"? Barkley’s historic 2,005-yard season rightly earned him the #3 spot. Does dominating the ground game somehow overshadow the guy making the offense hum? Opponents must indeed "pick their poison,"as Hurts noted. Stop Barkley? Fine. Then Hurts carves you up, like he did when Kansas City stuffed Barkley in the Super Bowl.
Jalen Hurts and the Constant Churn
Adding another layer is the relentless change around him. Hurts is now on his fifth offensive coordinator in six pro seasons (Kevin Patullo) and fourth QB coach in four years (Scot Loeffler). That’s more turnover than a diner’s coffee pot. Yet, Hurts embraces it.
"You have to be able to have and find success regardless... who's in the quarterback room coaching me, or who's out there calling plays."
His adaptability is legendary, forged through coordinator swaps even in college.
For the Eagles, this ranking is likely just bulletin board noise. But it underscores a league-wide narrative Hurts seems destined to fight: the undervaluation of his complete, championship-winning package. Teammates see the work.
"He’s willing to listen to anybody about anything," Patullo observed this spring. "If he feels like it's going to get him better, he's willing to take it and try it."
His leadership, poise under fire, and dual-threat dominance are the Eagles' engine.
Looking Ahead
Does slotting Hurts behind unproven talents impact the Eagles on the field? Doubtful. If anything, it fuels the underdog fire that this city and team thrive on. Hurts measures success solely by "rings and championships."He has one. The goal is more. As defenses scheme endlessly for Barkley, the door swings wide open for Hurts to once again silence doubters with his arm, legs, and relentless drive.
Read more:C.J. Gardner-Johnson issues special message days after blasting Eagles
Rankings like Prisco’s are subjective summer fodder. But placing the reigning Super Bowl MVP QB at 52, behind rookies he dominated, feels less like analysis and more like a provocation. It ignores historic playoff performances, record-breaking Super Bowl feats, and the sheer weight of leading a team to the ultimate prize.
For Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, it’s just another chip on the shoulder of a quarterback and a team that thrives on proving people wrong. The real ranking that matters comes on the field, in February. And as Buzz Lightyear might say while aiming for the stars (or another Lombardi), "To infinity... and beyond."