Eagles fans won’t be surprised to hear this: quarterback Jalen Hurts is the most hated player in the NFL.
Yes, that’s right.
According to a Vegas Insider study analyzing Reddit NFL discussion boards, Hurts ranks as the NFL’s most hated player among fans, earning a “Hate Score” of 10.0.
Despite winning a Super Bowl MVP last year and earning several other accolades during his career, Hurts is still labeled by some critics as a fraud or overrated.
But why?
NFL legends Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson have some ideas.
“They don’t like the way he does things, but he only does what they ask of him,” Johnson said on his show Nightcap with Sharpe. “And the results — even though it’s not pretty, even though it’s not aesthetically pleasing to the eye — Jalen Hurts wins all the time.”
Sharpe believes the criticism has more to do with Hurts’ reserved, stoic personality than his play on the field.
“People are like, ‘Is he really this buttoned up? Is he really this matter of fact?’” Sharpe said. “He’s not excited. … You’re not going to even give yourself an opportunity to celebrate the Super Bowl?”
While Sharpe and Johnson are not bothered by Hurts’ attitude, they can see why teammates don’t like him.
“He’s married and seems to be happy in his situation. He seems to be a loner,” Sharpe said. “He seems to be about, ‘Hey, I’m here to do a job, the best job I possibly can. And I’m going home to my wife.’”