Jalen Hurts knows the sound. It’s the rumble that starts low in the Philly belly... then rises like a summer thunderstorm rolling off the Delaware. That familiar roar found him again this week, not from 70,000 on a Sunday, but echoing from the eager shouts of the Darby Monarchs and Collingdale United kids. Their pure, unfiltered energy?
It hit differently. It felt like confirmation, a primal shout echoing something deeper than stats. Meanwhile, for Hurts, the offseason chatter was just noise.
Critics dissected the Eagles' Super Bowl run like a Monday morning quarterback slicing film. They pointed fingers, suggesting the win came despite him, not because of him. "System quarterback," they murmured, craving flashier numbers, a different style. The pressure to conform mounted, demanding he reinvent his game. But Hurts?
He stayed quiet, letting the Lombardi Trophy gleam in the silence. Then came training camp. On Wednesday, the question finally landed: What does Hurts feel about the criticism flying around?
The QB's Answer
"I'm just focused on being the best that I can be," Hurts stated calmly. He was asked again, "So you don't pay attention to the list or anything?" And he replied back with the same calm, "Purely focused on being the best I can be." Then came the next question: Would he change his approach?
Hurts didn't flinch. "No. I’ve went a very long time being told I gotta do it a certain type of way," he stated flatly. "That didn’t get me the win when I did it how everyone told me to..." His voice held the steady calm. The calm of a veteran pitcher staring down the count.
"When you put so much energy into performance, you kinda lose sight of the main thing of winning," Hurts added. His message was clear: winning trumps style. Period. And this sets the stage perfectly for the season ahead.
Indeed, last season’s stats weren't gaudy. Hurts threw for 2,903 yards. However, he was ruthlessly efficient, tossing only five picks. Crucially, he added 14 rushing touchdowns. The Eagles leaned hard on Saquon Barkley’s legs, cruising to a 12-3 record with Hurts starting.
He prioritized wins over fantasy points, a strategy Philly fans embraced wholeheartedly. The results spoke volumes on the scoreboard. Yet, the big stage is where legends truly earn their stripes.
Hurts' Winning Calculus
Flashback to Super Bowl LIX. Kansas City sold out to stop Barkley. Suddenly, the Eagles needed their quarterback to carry the load. Hurts delivered a masterpiece. He played his role par excellence. 221 passing yards, 72 rushing yards, three total touchdowns... and just five incompletions. He snatched the MVP trophy, proving his clutch gene under football’s brightest lights.
"Since the loss in 2022, it’s been my main motivation to find ways to win, regardless of how it looks…," Hurts revealed. "I just want to find ways to win." His playoff performances are undeniably elite. So, where does that leave the critics? Ring ceremony night offered another clue.
Teammates flashed their diamond-encrusted bling. Hurts? He held the box, pointed at the trophy, but never slipped the ring on. "I’ve moved on to the new year. It’s as simple as that," he declared later. It echoed Jordan’s legendary focus and Brady’s relentless drive.
Tackle Jordan Mailata captured the mood: "We’re not defending nothing... We just won the title. And now we’ve got to go win it again." The past is merely prologue in Philadelphia.
New offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo brings fresh schemes. New defensive pieces need to be integrated. Challenges evolve. Yet, Hurts remains the constant, the engine driving a team obsessed with one thing. His win percentage (.787 since 2022) trails only Patrick Mahomes. Besides, he’s not chasing headlines or highlight reels.
He’s chasing trophies, his way. For Hurts and the Eagles, this ring is just the start. And the roar demands more.
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