At the conclusion of the Eagles' final training camp practice, Jalen Hurts motioned to a group of kids watching on the sideline to come onto the field for some autographs and face time with the star quarterback.
He earned the fanfare from his adoring admirers by having one of his better showings this summer, helping to lead an offensive unit that won the day in a low-intensity, pad-less practice.
Our other game ball recipient will be an extremely important part of the defense when the season starts in just over two weeks.
Offense: Jalen Hurts, QB
On a day that was flush with red zone drills, Hurts shined, completing 13 of 14 passes and throwing five touchdown passes on the day. Hurts has had an up and down summer, turning the ball over and looking a little lacking at times with his decision-making.
He is, of course, the Super Bowl MVP, and there is no real way of knowing what kind of specific things he's been working on when on the field. So his struggles come with a big grain of salt. But there were no struggles at all on Wednesday. He even earns bonus points for his play with DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown both sitting out with minor injuries.
Here's a few highlights from his day:
• An early touchdown pass to AJ Dillon in the red zone had him looking agile and spry.
• Hurts connected with receiver Darius Cooper in traffic for a first down.
• After an impressive red zone scramble that could have been a touchdown in live game action, Hurts hit Cooper again for a touchdown.
• Hurts threw a touchdown to Ainias Smith, and then another to Grant Calcaterra — who made an impressive catch on a low ball in the front left corner of the end zone.
• He also connected with Jahan Dotson for six points at the end of red zone team drills.
Hurts made a strong finish on Day 18. The next time we'll really see him play is on September 4th against the Cowboys.
Honorable mention: Cooper (for his two big catches from Hurts)
Defense: Nolan Smith, DE
The Eagles really need Nolan Smith to carry his impressive playoff performance over into 2025.
After spreading 6.5 sacks between regular season Weeks 6-16, the first-round pick came to play in the postseason, leading all NFL players with four sacks. He also had five QB hits.
A lot of firepower has been lost in the pass rush (to retirement and free agency), so Smith will be gunning to improve on his sack total. He looks like he should be able to do it if Wednesday's practice is any indication.
The 24-year-old was in the backfield in nearly every play he was on the field for 11-on-11 drills. During one stint of back-to-back plays, he bowled over his man and would have surely had the chance to bring down the quarterback each time. It's hard to gauge the success of a defensive end in practices without pads or full contact but he is showing all the signs of being improved for next season.
Honorable mention: Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (he picked off Kyle McCord)
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