Jalen Hurts may be the starting quarterback of the reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, but unlike most star quarterbacks, he hasn’t exactly been a star at every level all the time.
He has had to deal with being a second-stringer and being overshadowed by the man who started ahead of him, not to mention critics who claimed he simply wasn’t good enough to be a high-level starter.
But he has answered those critics, and now he has been awarded with a record new contract by the Eagles.
It has put him on an amazing and inspiring trajectory.
January 8, 2018 Jalen Hurts BENCHED with the whole country watching / transfers and loses job
April 17, 2023 Jalen Hurts
HIGHEST PAID PLAYER IN NFL HISTORYKeep going …….📈
— Ben Stinar (@BenStinar) April 18, 2023
Hurts, a native of the Houston area, played his college ball at the University of Alabama, and he became a starter in just his freshman season, which was quite an accomplishment given the Crimson Tide’s rich winning tradition.
But they lost the national championship that year to the University of Clemson, and the following year, when they made it back to the title game, they fell behind 13-0 at halftime to the Georgia Bulldogs.
That is when, before a national audience, head coach Nick Saban benched Hurts and went the rest of the way with Tua Tagovailoa, who led the Tide to a comeback win in overtime.
Hurts transferred to the University of Oklahoma, and as a rookie with the Eagles in 2020, he started out as a third-stringer behind Carson Wentz and Nate Sudfeld.
He became the starter later that season, but critics felt he wasn’t quite good enough to be the face of the Eagles.
Yet last season, he made the Pro Bowl and got recognition as one of the best quarterbacks in the game.
At this point, it seems like Hurts can only get better.
NEXT:
Stephen A. Smith Shares Honest Opinion On Jalen Hurts’ Contract
