Despite their fast-start and relatively strong overall record, the Philadelphia Eagles were one of the most disappointing teams in all of football last season.
Even during their early-season winning streak, it was clear that the 2023 Eagles were vastly different than the 2022 team that represented the NFC in the Super Bowl.
The season ended in nightmare fashion as the Birds were blown out by Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The organization flirted with the idea of firing head coach Nick Sirianni before ultimately deciding to stick with him.
One of the most concerning developments of the 2023 season was the significant regression of quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Fresh off signing a historic (at the time) five-year, $255 million extension which included a whopping $179 million guaranteed, Hurts ended up struggling mightily during large stretches of the season.
On one hand, very little went right for the Eagles down the stretch of the season. It’s hard to blame the struggles on one single player. However, it’s also hard to ignore Hurts’ lack of effectiveness.
The Eagles have one of the smartest front offices in the entire league. Which is why it was somewhat surprising that they offered Hurts the record-breaking extension when they did.
After all, Hurts only had one strong season under his belt, and no one would have blinked an eye if the Eagles decided to wait another year before offering Hurts an extension.
Did they make a catastrophic mistake???
According to reports, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett has been outperforming Hurts during the team’s recent OTA’s.
“The backup quarterback looked sharp, sharper than Jalen Hurts, to be honest.” Ed Kracz of Eagles Today reported.
“Hurts was on the money on his first two seven-on-seven throws, hitting A.J. Brown on a quick inside slant then following up with a nice sideline throw about 15 yards downfield. Pickett, though, was consistently on target. The Eagles can win games with him if something happens to Hurts.”
Pickett of course was booted to the curb in Pittsburgh following a disappointing start to his career. He was drafted to be Ben Roethlisberger 2.0, but he ended up struggling and Mike Tomlin and company decided it was time to move on.
The Eagles were wise to bring Pickett in. The trade cost them very little and went a long way towards strengthening their quarterback room.
Sirianni and company probably weren’t expecting Pickett to be outperforming Hurts on the practice field. But it’s safe to assume no one is panicking in Philadelphia yet.
Hurts by all accounts is a hard-worker who is driven to be the best he can be. If anything, Pickett looking sharp at practice will most likely drive Hurts to work even harder.
Having said that, it’s fair to have slight concerns about Hurts.
The upcoming season is massive not just for him, but for the entire Eagles team as they seek to prove that they deserve to be mentioned among the NFL’s elite.
Was last season just a fluke? … Or was it 2022 that was the fluke???
What do you make of the report that Pickett has been outplaying Hurts in OTA’s?
Where is your level of concern when it comes to Hurts? … Did the Eagles front office jump the gun by prematurely signing him to the enormous extension?
Or do you think Hurts will shut his critics up this season and prove that he’s truly an elite franchise quarterback???