The Eagles made the postseason in Nick Sirianni’s first year as a head coach and quarterback Jalen Hurts’ first year as a full-time starter.
They didn’t fare well against the Buccaneers in the wild card round, looking overmatched in the 31-15 playoff loss. But Hurts still helped Philadelphia make it to postseason football with his progress throughout the season.
The 2020 second-round pick ended the year completing 61 percent of his passes for 3,144 yards with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed for 784 yards with 10 TDs.
Much like G.M. Howie Roseman, Sirianni praised Hurts for his 2021 performance at the NFL Scouting Combine this week.
“As you watch more and more and as you think about it more and more, you’re just pleased with the progression that Jalen has made [in 2021],” Sirianni said, via Dave Zangaro of NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com. “I think that’s [representative] of who Jalen Hurts is as a player and as a quarterback. He just continues to get better. Whether that’s from Alabama to Oklahoma, Oklahoma to his first year in the NFL or from his first year in the NFL to his second year. We just know that progression is going to continue.
“And it’s not just because we’ve seen the progression go like that, it’s because of the person that he is. He loves football. This guy loves football and he’s just willing to do the things that he needs to do to get better and that’s why he does continue to get better.”
In theory, the Eagles could still be in the quarterback market if a can’t-miss opportunity comes up. But it appears more and more likely that they’re going to ride with Hurts as their QB1 in 2022.
