When you think about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, it's easy to focus on the obvious. The Super Bowl ring. The clutch moments. The undeniable leadership. But here's the thing: Hurts doesn't always get the credit he deserves for one crucial part of his game—and it's time to set the record straight.
Over the past few seasons, Hurts has evolved in some areas while staying the same in others. That's been a tough pill to swallow for a team that needs its star quarterback to be among the best in the world. But here's what everyone seems to forget: when Hurts is at his best, he's dominating on the ground. He's not the most polished passer—that's no secret—but his ability to run the football is elite. And that matters, no matter how fans choose to spin it.
Sure, we'd all love to see Hurts throw with more precision every down. But that's not his game. Instead, his legs are what make the Eagles' offense tick. And heading into 2026, the biggest question isn't about his arm—it's about whether he'll embrace his identity as a runner again.
According to Jimmy Kempski of the PhillyVoice, the concern is real. "For me, the biggest Hurts question heading into 2026 is whether or not he's going to utilize his talents as a runner like he did from 2020 to 2024," Kempski wrote. He noted that during the back half of the 2025 season, sources indicated Hurts wasn't a fan of having too many designed QB runs in the game plan. The numbers back it up: after rushing for over 600 yards in each of his previous four seasons, Hurts managed just 421 yards in 2025. The result? The entire rushing offense suffered.
Kempski also pointed out a frustrating double standard in how Hurts is evaluated. "Every jabroni with a keyboard puts out quarterback rankings these days, and last offseason it was fascinating to me how little credit Hurts got for how good the Eagles' rushing attack was in 2024," he wrote. "In these QB rankings, over and over again you would see people noting that Hurts only had to throw like 25 times per game because the Eagles' rushing attack is so good—which was true."
To be fair, it's not entirely Hurts' fault. Saquon Barkley had a down year in 2025—arguably the worst of his career, even compared to his time with the New York Giants. That certainly didn't help the ground game's rhythm. But the bottom line remains: when Hurts runs, the Eagles are a different team. And it's about time he gets the respect he deserves for that.