Jalen Hurts: Philadelphia Eagles’ Controversial Contract – PROVE Chris Simms WRONG.
The NFL offseason is a lot like a classic muscle car show: shiny paint jobs, roaring engines, and endless debates over who’s got the most horsepower under the hood. Right now, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is sitting in the driver’s seat of a ’72 Chevelle SS—flashy, proven, but suddenly facing nitpicks about his carburetor. Sure, he just won the big race, but critics are squinting at his lap times from earlier in the season.
Enter Chris Simms, the former quarterback turned analyst, who’s revving up controversy with a hot take that’s got Philly fans gripping their cheesesteak-stained jerseys a little tighter. And here’s the thing. Simms isn’t sold on Hurts’ top-five quarterback status.
Simms’ comments on Hurts’ status against other NFL quarterbacks
On The Herd with Colin Cowherd this week, Simms argued that Houston’s C.J. Stroud deserves the nod over the Eagles’ Super Bowl MVP.
“We have a little bit of revisionist history here. He won the Super Bowl, and everybody just forgot about the 10 weeks before that.”
The jab references Philly’s midseason slump, where Hurts’ passing stats (2,903 yards and 18 touchdowns) mirrored a stalled engine. But does one rough stretch negate a championship pedigree?
Simms doubled down, citing AJ Brown’s cryptic midseason critique.
“His top receiver said ‘What’s wrong with the team? The passing game.’ How can you now be one of the best quarterbacks in the game?”
For Eagles fans, it’s a low blow. Hurts rallied late, delivering a playoff run as clutch as a bottom-of-the-ninth homer.
Yet Stroud’s 4,000-yard rookie year—despite a leaky offensive line—has analysts like Simms arguing he’s the smoother ride. “I think I would have CJ Stroud in his [Hurts’] place on that tier,” Simms added. So, Stroud’s floor is higher, even if Hurts’ ceiling includes confetti showers. But Pro Football Focus’ John Kosko sees it differently.
Ranking Hurts fifth overall, he praised the QB’s “poise and control” during the Eagles’ Super Bowl push. “His 91.5 overall grade ranks fifth among all quarterbacks,” Kosko noted. For context, that’s way ahead of Stroud (14th) and just shy of Patrick Mahomes. Numbers don’t lie, but neither do playoff wins. Hurts’ dual-threat dominance—630 rushing yards, 14 TDs—kept Philly’s offense alive when defenses clamped down on Saquon Barkley.
Jalen Hurts and the Weight of the Wing
Let’s rewind the tape. Before the Super Bowl heroics, Hurts’ 2023 season was more Groundhog Day than Rocky. Bubble screens, questionable play-calling, and a defense that folded like a cheap lawn chair in crunch time. But Hurts adapted. His 109.4 QB rating in two Super Bowls?
That’s Montana-esque. “He found his rhythm and delivered when it mattered most,” Kosko emphasized, pointing to Hurts’ 46-20 career record. Still, Simms’ critique lingers like a scratch on a vintage finish: Does Hurts elevate his team, or does the system elevate him?
History offers a clue. The 1980 Eagles leaned on Ron Jaworski’s efficiency to reach the Super Bowl, only to collapse afterward. Hurts, though, has already bounced back once. His 2024 stats—68.7% completion rate, 103.7 passer rating—prove he can recalibrate. Yet the Eagles’ 2025 fate hinges on whether he’s a franchise QB or a flashy accessory.
As training camp looms, Hurts faces a familiar Philly narrative: Prove it again. Can he silence the “revisionist history” chatter, or will Stroud’s rise become the new talking point? Legendary coach Bear Bryant once said, “It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” Hurts has the rings. Now, does he have the blueprint to stay atop the mountain?
