They were both doubted early in their career. People questioned whether they had the physical tools to get the job done. There was constant speculation about their future and who would replace them. They weren’t big enough. They weren’t good enough.
“Being honest, there’s a lot of similarities between myself and Jalen Hurts,” Jason Kelce said Wednesday. “I think in some ways we’re cut from the same cloth.”
Kelce, appearing on the 94 WIP Morning Show, spoke at length about Hurts Wednesday and why he believes Hurts can be the Eagles’ long-term solution at quarterback.
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It starts with something Kelce is very familiar with: Hurts’ resilience, strength and toughness in the face of the constant doubt and questions and rumors.
Not all professional athletes can handle that. We’ve seen a couple high-profile instances of that in Philadelphia over the past year.
But Kelce said one of the most impressive things about Hurts is how that outside stuff only drives him in a positive way.
“I don’t think it bothers Jalen Hurts,” Kelce said. “I probably wouldn’t be a fan of a guy if it did bother him.
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“I think at the end of the day, this is what happens in the NFL. Everything is critiqued, you’re going to be judged, people are going to tell you you’re not good enough and are you going to have the mental fortitude to believe in yourself – and your teammates – despite all that to become the best player you can be.
“I like when people are getting criticized to see their reaction in some regards. I don’t want to speak for Jalen in terms of this, I’m sure it does piss him off to some extent, but I think it makes him a better player and I know when I’ve gone through it it’s made me a better player.”
We’ve analyzed Hurts’ strengths and weaknesses for a couple years now. We know he’s a great athlete, we know he’s a tremendous leader, we know he has to get more accurate.
But hearing a likely Hall of Famer like Kelce break down Hurts’ game is fascinating.
Kelce has snapped the football as an Eagles center to Carson Wentz, Nick Foles, Michael Vick, Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Vince Young, Gardner Minshew, Matt Barkley, Nate Sudfeld, Mike Kafka, Josh McCown, Trent Edwards and Josh McCown.
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He knows a little bit about quarterbacks.
“[Jalen] has certain measurables and things that cause people to question his game, but he’s proven people wrong every step of the way so far,” Kelce said. “That’s somebody that I want in my corner, somebody who’s proven he can fight and push through adversity. He uses probably some of that as fuel to make him a better player.
“There is unquestionably a lot of support within our team for Jalen Hurts for who he is and the player he can be and has been. So I’m a big Jalen Hurts fan and I have been since the moment I got to know him. He’s got a great personality, obviously the intangibles everyone knows about, but I think he has tools that make him unique. He has tools that separate him in a game where it’s hard to be unique at a level that it’s hard to be unique.
“He has athleticism, he has the ability to make all the throws. I know the arm strength is a question, but I’ve seen him make every throw. If he can anticipate and deliver it with good technique and the proper mechanics, he can make throws. I will always bet on guys that continue to prove people wrong.”