After the Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Washington Commanders 55-23 in the NFC Championship, securing their spot in the Super Bowl, reporters eagerly sought insights from players like Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley.
They were anxious to hear their thoughts on the upcoming Super Bowl and what this dominant win meant for their playoff journey.
However, Hurts delivered a statement that caught many by surprise.
Reflecting on the Eagles’ gameplan, he remarked that he was “happy to finally remove the ‘straitjacket'” and be allowed to throw the ball 28 times during the game.
This comment quickly became the talk of the sports world, as some saw it as a disrespectful shot at head coach Nick Sirianni.
The reaction to Hurts’ comment was swift, with fans and pundits weighing in, questioning the intention of the remark.
Was he indirectly criticizing Sirianni? Were there (more) tensions brewing between the two???
Needless to say, sports talk shows had a field day with this story. Former wide reciever James Jones made his harsh feelings perfectly clear on FS1’s The Facility.
“I hate it, dog,” Jones said of Hurts’ comments. “Number one, you’re going to the Super Bowl. You just won the NFC championship. All right? It ain’t rocket science, you’ve been playing weak.
“You ain’t been balling. And all year long, your coach has gotten up there and had your back. … A straitjacket, that means someone is holding you back, dog. That’s a shot at the coach.
“You know who else is in a straitjacket? Smitty and A.J. Who holding them back?” Jones continued. “They’re getting in trouble for reading books on the sideline, but they’ve been in straitjackets all year long.
“That’s weak to me. You’re calling out your coach right there. … You’ve been bailed out by this team, being in a straitjacket and being in this game.”
As the buzz was swirling, Sirianni was asked about his quarterback’s comments and addressed the issue head-on.
“I think he was having fun after the game. We’ve been winning a couple different ways this year. I think he was just having fun after the game,” Sirianni said.
“I know this, and he’s said this plenty of times: He doesn’t care how we win. I don’t care how we win, as long as we win. We do everything we can do to be able to win.
“As we’ve talked [about] a lot, there have been different circumstances of how games have gone and where we’ve been at late in games. But we found a way to win and rattle off 15 out of 16.”
Sirianni also praised Hurts for his consistency and work ethic.
“I thought he was having fun with that after the game. Just loved how he went out and executed and prepared for this game. I always admire that. You guys have asked me about that. I always admire the heck out of how hard he works, regardless of the situation,” he said.
“Same guy every day. His mentality, his work ethic. We had to win a different way this game, and we did. We showed that we can win in multiple ways. I think that shows the type of team we have and the type of selflessness we have on our team, starting with [QB] Jalen [Hurts].”
Sirianni’s comments suggest he took Hurts’ remark in stride, attributing it to the excitement of the victory.
But is that the full picture? Could Sirianni have been using this opportunity to smooth over any potential tension with his quarterback, ensuring that the media spin didn’t add fuel to the fire?
One thing is certain: Sirianni’s philosophy remains clear – as long as the Eagles win, he’s content with how it’s done, whether that means running the ball or airing it out.
What are your thoughts on the situation?
Do you think the whole thing has been way overblown? … Or did Hurts’ comment touch on a deeper issue?
More importantly, what’s your prediction for the Super Bowl???
