The past few weeks have been a mess for the Philadelphia Eagles. The Carson Wentz era seems to be over and the team is vigorously trying to find a suitable trading partner. The Bears, Colts, Broncos and several others have thrown their hats into the sweepstakes and the rumor mill is spinning faster than ever. Understandably, this keeps Jalen in an awkward position, but he copes incredibly well with it.
Since his benching in a controversial week 17 matchup that sparked a lot of controversy, Hurts has been cool, calm and collected. He never said anything wrong or aired dirty laundry. He didn’t take to social media to cryptically tweet his emotions before pulling them in when the pressure cooker heated up.
With the situation in Carson Wentz burning brighter and brighter by the day, it would be easy for Hurts to fall into the trap of surrounding himself in the whirlwind. Who would really blame him? He is a second-round pick who replaced the QB franchise during last season’s chaotic demise and that could be a role he will soon inherit as a result.
Instead, Hurts went to NFL Network and showed a playful and confident side as he reflected on his rookie season.
After that, he decided to gather his young recipients and organize group training in Texas for the next few weeks. This should come as no surprise, he did something similar with DeSean Jackson last season, while both Carson Wentz and Sam Bradford have also organized similar trips in the past. It is not the act itself that stands out here, but the timing.
The whole offense is currently in motion. Is Zach Ertz on the way? Will the Eagles set up a top wide this year? Will there be a running back on the Wentz deal? There must be an understandable sense of insecurity around the group, but Hurts has decided to act as the leader, bring his teammates together, and focus on what’s important: football.
Jalen Hurts’ piece will be endlessly reviewed and criticized this season, but one thing that can only be praised is its maturity. Hurts wades through uncharted waters with a real sense of calm, exudes subtle leadership traits and bonds the team together… which is exactly what a franchise QB should do.
Photo by Kyle Ross / Icon Sportswire
Liam is a 25-year-old sports writer from the UK and founder of the Philly Sports Network. In just five years, he turned a hobby into one of the fastest growing Philadelphia sports sites in the world, with 7,000,000 views and writing more than 3,000 articles. Liam is drawing the attention of CSN, NJ.Com and Bleacher Report and plans to change the way Philadelphia sports teams are reported forever.
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