Jalen Hurts receives label that's flattering but not 100% accurate

What a world Philadelphia Eagles fans live in, where they know the true greatness of their starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts, but some are just obvious to them.

This offseason has been a circus of commentary on Hurts and whether he should be considered one of the elite quarterbacks. Some experts have put him in the conversation with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. At the same time, some don't even put him in the top 10.

CBS Sports writer Cody Benjamin dissected the most talked-about quarterbacks and whether they are overrated or underrated. Hurts was placed in the "underrated" category.

"Wait, really? The reigning Super Bowl MVP is underrated? It sure seems like it. You won't find anyone who puts up a fight when you mention Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen in lists of elite quarterbacks. Throw Hurts' name in there, however, and all of a sudden you're clawing for your life. But since when did gaudy stats and pretty highlights mean more than, you know,? Hurts played more of a background role in the Philadelphia Eagles' historic Super Bowl LIX run, but too many people forget he's now giventwochampionship-caliber performances at that stage. And he's still just 26! He may not be flawless, but he's close to inevitable."

Maybe to the rest of the NFL, but Hurts is far from underrated

Here we go again, having to justify what the rest of the league should know by now: Hurts is a great quarterback. He has two Pro Bowl selections, one All-Pro selection, two Super Bowl appearances, one Super Bowl win, and one Super Bowl MVP. He's done that in just five years, and he was on the bench for most of his rookie season in 2020.

Nobody likes to admit it publicly, but they don't like the fact that Hurts didn't throw for over 3,000 yards, ignoring how much he has improved as a passer and his rushing abilities. He completed 68.7% of his passes and had a passer rating of 103.7 in 2024, both of which were career highs for the young quarterback. He also contributed to 32 touchdowns.

Suppose fans want to delve even deeper into the data. In that case, Pro Football Reference lists Hurts with a career-best 13.4% of his passes being considered "bad throws," alongside 79.1% of his passes being on target, also a career best. His ability to pick up yards on scrambles should be acknowledged, as he averaged a career-high 9.4 yards per scramble. Hurts was getting first downs on all 39 of his scrambles.

The "cool" thing this offseason is to go against the grain and say that Hurts is not a great quarterback when the data is saying otherwise. Hurts will never be the quarterback to throw it for 4,000 to 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns a season. Philadelphia doesn't need him to.

Hurts doesn't have to apologize for having the best offensive line with the best running game in the NFL. If it isn't broke, don't fix it. The Eagles will continue to hammer the ball on the ground, and Hurts will continue to throw perfect deep balls to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.