Jalen Hurts
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts looks to pass the ball against the Tennessee Titans during the second half of the game at Nissan Stadium on Sept. 20 in Nashville, Tennessee. Justin Ford/Getty Images
2 min read

For Jalen Hurts, getting appreciation is challenge of a lifetime

Super Bowl winner still has to prove himself week after week to Philadelphia Eagles fanbase

William C. Rhoden @RhodenRhoden8
Topics:
Burden of Proof Commentary Jalen Hurts Locker Room Talk NFL Philadelphia Eagles Sports

Up Next From Sports

    This season, Andscape will document the ups and downs of this Black quarterback fraternity and how each of them is carrying their specific burden of proof.

    Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is the subject of this week’s episode, but will not play Sunday due to what the team described as a blood clot in his calf.

    When the Philadelphia Eagles selected Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft, there were boos and an abundance of questions from skeptical Eagles fans.

    Six seasons later, Hurts has proven beyond a doubt that he’s a winner.

    But while Eagles fans celebrate Hurts, they don’t fully appreciate him. For Hurts, getting that appreciation is the challenge of a lifetime.

    When critics name the NFL’s top quarterbacks, they invariably list Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson. Hurts is usually an afterthought, although — with the exception of Mahomes — he has achieved something none of the others have: He’s led the Eagles to a pair of Super Bowl appearances, and in 2025 he brought Philadelphia a championship with a Super Bowl MVP performance.

    Yet, Hurts has had to prove himself every week. Every incomplete pass and every loss is used as evidence against him.

    This season, Hurts has had to carry the heaviest burden of his career. His best receiver (A.J. Brown) was traded before the season. The team’s best running back (Saquon Barkley) has been injured. A veteran lineman (Lane Johnson) retired unexpectedly. And Hurts is breaking in a first-year offensive coordinator.

    But if the past is any indication of the future, Hurts will find a way to win, and Eagles fans will continue to doubt him and complain about him until he’s gone.

    Only then will fans appreciate the sad truth of a timeless adage: You never miss your water until the well runs dry.

    William C. Rhoden is a columnist for Andscape and the author of Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete. He directs the Rhoden Fellows, a training program for aspiring journalists from HBCUs.