February 11, 2024
Kim Klement Neitzel/USA Today Sports
Jalen Hurts will be relied upon more in the leadership department in 2024.
The Eagles' 2023 season crashed and burned, a far cry from the phenomenal vibes they rode to the Super Bowl during the 2022 campaign. Jalen Hurts was good in 2023, but did not reach the MVP-caliber highs he hit the year prior.
With potential wholesale changes on the way for the Eagles, including the possibility of both Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox retiring, the Eagles want Hurts to be more of a vocal leader going forward and are working with him to become, per a Sunday afternoon NFL Network report.
The discussion from reporter Mike Garafolo can be seen below with partial transcription to follow:
The Insiders on @NFLGameDay: The #Broncos face a crucial decision on Russell Wilson; The #Eagles are welcoming QB Jalen Hurts being more vocal and jovial; #Eagles edge Haason Reddick got permission to seek a trade; The #Steelers may inquire about free agent QB Ryan Tannehill. pic.twitter.com/YhxvkkdkLl
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 11, 2024
[The Eagles] feel like new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is going to bring some fresh ideas, which should help Hurts and that offense, but there is a non-X's-and-O's element at play here. That is that Hurts, he's usually of few words and he's stoic. They want him to be more front-facing and more of a vocal leader, especially because Jason Kelce might be retiring, Fletcher Cox as well and some other long-term fixtures could be moving on with the Eagles as well.
So now is Hurts' time. They paid him like it last year. Now, he's only 25. He's not a finished product. You hear that repeatedly when you talk to the Eagles and they say that he's open to these conversations. They've already been having these conversations and they wanted him, and the people around him did as well, to show his personality when he was down at the Pro Bowl. He did that. They feel like that was a step forward. [NFL Network]
It's obvious that the Eagles will need Hurts to resemble his 2022 self if the Eagles want to get back to true Super Bowl-level contention. Again, big roster changes could be on the horizon, including the chance that Haason Reddick is traded away. 2024 will be pivotal for Hurts to re-establish himself as an elite quarterback in this league.
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