Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, as a good passer on a great team, is an inevitable topic of conversation as the march to the Super Bowl continues. Playing the most important position in the sport, Hurts is in the spotlight, and while each win adds to his resume, he seems to add detractors in the process.
Hurts is one of the more polarizing passers in the NFL, with his biggest fans crowning him elite and his critics suggesting he’s expendable on a team full of stars.
Hurts is so intriguing, he even has analysts contradicting themselves as they discuss quarterback rankings.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts
© Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Subsequently, Eagles fans are saying the same thing about ESPN Radio host Chris Canty’s recent Hurts ranking, which has him inside the top 10.
The discussion stemmed from his ranking of the 14 playoff quarterbacks, of which Hurts landed at No. 6.
"I'm just sitting back looking at the rankings that I had of the quarterbacks coming into the postseason," Canty said, via Mediaite. "I had Jalen Hurts sixth, so right outside of the top five. Now, retroactively, that might be a little low, but there was plenty of respect that we had for this show when it comes to the Jalen Hurts of it all."
Canty’s list is suspect anyway, given that Los Angeles Chargers superstar Justin Herbert fell behind 10 quarterbacks. But it’s his claim about respecting Hurts that caught fans’ attention.
Back in March, the former New York Giants lineman wasn’t so kind.
"I don't have Jalen Hurts as a top-10 quarterback," Canty said on “First Take.”
Before the season, he said on “UnSportsmanlike” that Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, C.J. Stroud, Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Dak Prescott, Jordan Love, and Brock Purdy all ranked ahead of Hurts.
Philadelphia’s quarterback then went on to throw for 2,903 yards, 18 touchdowns, and five interceptions – good enough for the Eagles to win the NFC East, but pedestrian enough to question just how strong they are under center. Hurts ranked 12th in expected points added per play, 12th in success rate, and first in completion percentage over expected.
Canty was roasted on his show and on social media for the misdirection, but it remains questionable whether Hurts is better than the quarterback he beat on Sunday, Jayden Daniels, or the week prior, Matthew Stafford, or even Jordan Love, whom the Eagles took down in the Wild Card Round.
If nothing else, he’ll hope to topple the game’s best passer, Patrick Mahomes, when Philadelphia plays the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
