What people are getting wrong about Jalen Hurts

Everybody who’s blasting Jalen Hurts for some fumbles or late-game interceptions or mistakes here and there needs to step back for a second and remember one thing.

He’s a 22-year-old rookie. 

Who just made the first three starts of his life. 

Without OTAs or preseason games or face-to-face meetings with his coaches or teammates. With mediocre receivers and a beat-up offensive line. With a head coach who refuses - no matter who the QB is - to run the ball.

Hurts is doing just fine.

1) There’s a lot to be excited about, and 2) and just like with every other quarterback that’s ever played in the NFL, there’s a lot to work on.

And if you deny either one, you’re outta your mind.

Expecting Hurts to be a finished product right now is just silly. Expecting any rookie to come out in his first few starts and play mistake-free football is ridiculous.

Think about this for a moment:

In their first three career starts, Fran Tarkenton, Bob Griese, Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, Ken Stabler, Steve Young, John Elway and Dan Fouts combined for seven TD passes and 38 interceptions, completed 46 percent of their passes and went 5-16-1. They’re all in the Hall of Fame. 

Only one Hall of Famer - Dan Marino - threw more touchdowns than Hurts in his first three starts. 

None threw for more yards. Eleven threw more interceptions.

I don’t know how good Hurts will wind up being. I don’t know if he’ll ever be a star or even a full-time starter. Heck, maybe Sunday will be his last career start. Maybe he’ll spend the rest of his career as a backup. I don’t know. Nobody knows.

But I do know that anybody who’s watched him play these last few weeks and can't see the positives is delusional and has some impossible expectations.

And the fans who were almost celebrating when Hurts threw a couple late interceptions Sunday because that somehow validated their preconceived notions about him need to keep in mind he still has half as many INTs the last three weeks as Pat Mahomes.

So chill out. The kid’s doing OK.

In his first three starts, He’s passed for 847 yards, completed 55 percent of his passes, averaged 7.5 yards per attempt, hit on seven passes of at least 30 yards and thrown five TDs and two INTs, both late in the Dallas game Sunday. 

His passer rating in these three starts is 86.4 and on top of all that he’s rushed for 238 yards with a 6.3 average. He’s fumbled six times, losing one of them. 

He’s got a higher passer rating in his first three career starts than Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray or Josh Allen.

He’s got more TD passes in his first three starts than Jim Kelly, Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees. 

And fewer interceptions than Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert or Deshaun Watson.

Heck, he’s even got more rushing yards than Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and Jerome Bettis.
 
And he’s done it all in an environment where the offensive line has struggled to protect him, he hasn’t had the benefit of an elite wide receiver and his coach has steadfastly refused to run the football to slow down the pass rush.

During these three games, Hurts has dropped back to pass 122 times, and Eagles running backs have carried the ball 54 times.  

In the fourth quarter Sunday - when Hurts threw both of his INTs - the Eagles threw 20 times and ran twice. 

Not an ideal environment for a young quarterback to flourish.

But forget all the numbers.

What’s most important is that Hurts has played with confidence, poise and swagger. He’s put points on the board. He’s moved the offense. He’s played 38 drives and the Eagles have averaged 35.6 yards. The NFL average is 33.5 yards per drive.

None of this has anything to do with Carson Wentz. I haven’t even mentioned him till now. It doesn’t mean one guy deserves to start next year and the other doesn’t. 

It’s not about that.

This has to do with a 22-year-old Philadelphia Eagles rookie who’s done nothing but show promise with a lot of factors conspiring against him.

And if you’re not seeing it? You really just don’t want to look.

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