A new member has emerged on Jalen Hurts’ list of critics for him to prove wrong.
On Thursday, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky was on Get Up discussing the second-year quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles.
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In the midst of Carson Wentz’s struggles last year, the Eagles decided to play Hurts more.
He brought a different energy to the offense, and the teammates around him followed his lead.
Hurts won his first game as a starter versus New Orleans (24-21) and recorded a pair of 300-yard passing performances. After picking him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Philadelphia chose Hurts over Doug Pederson and Wentz. With a new head coach, the Eagles and its fans are excited to see the Crimson Tide alumnus go to work. However, Orlovsky does not see success for Hurts this season. He spent 13 years in the National Football League as a quarterback, but Orlovsky feels Hurts cannot hold a candlestick to Wentz. He said if the Eagles could go back and re-do the decision to draft Hurts, he’s 100 percent convinced that they would not have taken him.
“If the Eagles could go back right now and re-do that decision, I’m 100% convinced that they would not have taken Jalen Hurts.”
—@danorlovsky7 pic.twitter.com/JLdjB5Yo4s
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 8, 2021
“If Jalen Hurts plays as well as he can, he can’t sniff as good as Carson Wentz is,” Orlovsky said.
Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft, increased his production from 2017 to 2019.
Last season, he suffered career-lows for completion percentage (57.4), passing yards (2,620), touchdown passes (16), and passer rating (72.8). Wentz had a career-high 15 interceptions and was sacked 50 times.
Philadelphia did not have the best offensive line; nevertheless, Wentz’s confidence was shattered.
He did not make the same plays in 2020 that fans saw from 2017-19, which is why he was benched for Hurts.
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Few people believe the two-time Southeastern Conference Champion (2016, 2018), Big 12 Champion (2019), and 2019 Heisman finalist will have major success at quarterback. His life has been filled with challenges, but Hurts has constantly met them well.
This season will begin another chapter in Hurts defying the odds.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
