A conversation surrounding Jalen Hurts and his ranking as a top athlete in the city of Philadelphia riled up the Philadelphia Eagles fan base this past week.
As a local sports radio station, 94WIP, ranked the top 11 athletes in the market, one host shocked many when Hurts was left off the list. Despite the Pro Bowl quarterback leading his team to a Super Bowl victory and being named the game's MVP just a few months back, Hurts couldn't win over everybody.
Not everybody at the station agreed that Hurts should've been left out of the mix. However, a further discussion about whether Hurts' 2024 NFL season was good or great took place on the airwaves earlier this week. When asked the simple question, former Eagles defensive lineman Hugh Douglas took the latter stance.
"Jalen didn't start out the season the way we wanted him to. He probably didn't start out the season the way he wanted to, but as the season progressed, Jalen evolved," said the former first-round pick.
"Jalen did what was necessary. It didn't always look pretty, but he got the job done. He was the right man for the job, and he got the job done. So, when you ask me that question in its entirety, 'How was Jalen's season?' I would say it was great. The reason why I would say it was great is because he won the ultimate prize. He won the Super Bowl. He got his team to the Super Bowl, and he was able to win it."
Looking at the simple numbers, Hurts had his least-productive passing year outside of his rookie season. The veteran quarterback threw for 2,903 yards. He tossed 18 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
In the three years leading up to the 2024 NFL season, Hurts averaged 477 passes per season. Last year, he threw just 361 times. Some might use that as an argument to say the Eagles threw less because Hurts couldn't be relied on as much in the passing game. However, it was his most accurate passing year, completing 69 percent of his passes.
While key members of the Eagles' offense admitted that the passing game could use some work throughout the year, it was also not utilized as much due to the presence of the MVP-caliber running back, Saquon Barkley. With Barkley putting together a record-breaking season, the Eagles took advantage of his presence. Sometimes, it came at the expense of Hurts' passing.
Douglas, a former Pro Bowler, views Hurts' 2024 campaign as a great one. It's not a take that everybody agrees with, but he makes a valid point.
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