Over the last two seasons, Jalen Hurts has become one of the best quarterbacks in the league because he’s so effective as a passer and a runner.
Last season, he rushed for 760 yards on 165 attempts — many of them QB sneaks, which helps explain his average falling from 5.6 yards per carry in 2021 to 4.6 in 2022. He also took in 13 touchdowns.
But whenever a quarterback runs, there’s an increased risk of injury because he’s likely to take more hits. Fortunately for the Eagles, the club feels Hurts has a good ability to navigate through those waters.
“We always take into consideration how much we’re putting him in harm’s way, specifically in the run game,” offensive coordinator Brian Johnson said in his Tuesday press conference. “There are some things that naturally happen throughout the course of a game or throughout the course of a play where it becomes second reaction football. But Jalen has always had a great feel for avoiding contact and being able to get himself down in certain situations.
“I think just as he continues to grow and develop as a player, it’s really important that he just uses everything he has in his toolbox to make sure that he’s playing as well as he can.”
Hurts’ emergence as an MVP candidate last season propelled Philadelphia to a conference championship and should have the team in a position to be successful again in 2023. But Hurts needs to stay healthy, so the Eagles will have to strike a balance within their play-calling.
