Jalen Hurts has made it to May and remains the Philadelphia Eagles' presumed starting quarterback.
With just one full season under his belt amid some roster turnover, Hurts hasn't yet received a satisfactory amount of playing time to prove his long-term viability. It's been a busy offseason for the Eagles, but while general manager Howie Roseman upgraded at a number of positions, Philadelphia understandably did not acquire a replacement for Hurts.
Though they didn't see him didn't light it up through the air like, say, Justin Herbert, the Eagles also seem to like what they got out of Hurts in 2021, a season in which Philadelphia surprised the football world by earning a wild-card berth. With this in mind and a lack of additions to the quarterback room, it's Hurts' show to run in 2022.
"That's what they say," Hurts said Wednesday. "You know what I'm saying, like, it's understood, you know. It's my opportunity. It's my team. That's pretty much what it is, you know? It's my team. So I'm ready to go."
Instead of spending multiple first-round picks on fellow inexperienced youngsters for Philadelphia's offense, Roseman moved one to New Orleans in exchange for valuable future capital. Then the GM ignored outside doubts of Hurts and instead opted to acquire a weapon with whom Hurts will work in 2022.
A.J. Brown is one of a handful of new guys in town, and will team with DeVonta Smith to create quite a receiving duo for Hurts.
"He's always been an excellent player since I've known him in college," Hurts said of Brown, who arrived via trade with the Titans during the first round of the draft and consequently received a massive contract extension. "Always had the ability to make plays with the ball in hands, use his body, box out defenders, break tackles. He's a great addition to a great receiving room we have now, and I'm excited."
Philadelphia struggled significantly when almost forcibly throwing the ball in 2021, then morphed into a run-first offense that ended up leading the league in rushing and helped the Eagles secure their surprising playoff berth. Bolstering the receiving corps should help bring more balance to their attack, as should another year of NFL experience under Hurts' belt and one season of time spent working with coach Nick Sirianni.
"I think everything improves when you do it more and you're more efficient. I think that'll settle itself," Hurts said of Philadelphia's passing game. "A word for me has been consistency. That's my whole entire approach coming into year three: being consistent.
"I look back on last year knowing that there were games where I played at a very high level and then there were games where it wasn't the same. I think consistency in this league is everything. Ultimately, the work is being put in now, but that's what we're chasing and that's what I'm chasing. I think consistency can make it become elite."
What appeared to be an aging mess of a roster just 18 months ago now stands as one of the more promising groups in the NFL. Hurts might not be the sole headliner of the group, but he's certainly one of a few faces that also includes the likes of Brown and Smith.
"I think this is an exciting time to be an Eagle," Hurts said. "I think coming off of the things we were able to accomplish and overcome last year, I think there's a lot to look forward to. Just knowing that, for me, one thing I've been telling the guys is the foundation has been set. The standard has been set. The only direction is to climb."
