As if his Week 2 Monday Night Football coming out party wasn't enough, Jalen Hurts was dynamic and at times brilliant in the Eagles blowout 24-8 win over Washington Sunday afternoon.
Before the season started, most NFL pundits tossed Hurts into the middle of the pack when they ranked quarterbacks. Our own Jimmy Kempski chimed in himself, putting Hurts just into the top 15, with other "experts putting him anywhere from 17th to 25th (and according to Madden's rankings, Hurts started 2022 as the 25th highest ranked QB.
Can the 25th best quarterback in the NFL do this?
| Game | Passing | Rushing |
| Week 1 (DET) | 18-32, 243 yards | 17 rush, 90 yards, TD |
| Week 2 (MIN) | 26-31, 333 yards, TD | 11 rush, 57 yards, 2 TD |
| Week 3 (WAS) | 22-35, 339 yards, 3 TD | 7 rush, 23 yards |
- MORE ON THE EAGLES
- WATCH: DeVonta Smith puts Eagles up 24-0 at the half
- WATCH: Eagles put up a quick 10 with huge pass to DeVonta Smith, Brandon Graham strip sack
- Eagles fans still have mixed feelings about Carson Wentz two years later
Hurts has one turnover, a tipped pass in Week 2 that led to a meaningless interception. He's also found a ton of confidence throwing the ball vertically down field with regularity and letting his talented wideouts go up and try to make plays (of which they make many).
The Eagles third year quarterback is getting better every time he hits the turf, and it would be hard to find 10 other active QBs who you'd rather have on your team right now.
Just for the fun of it, let's whip around the NFL really quick:
The obvious...
Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers are obviously better quarterbacks than Hurts and it would take a few years for him to be considered in their company.
His peers...
The real conversation starts here. Would you rather have Hurts than Kyler Murray? What about Dak Prescott (when healthy) or Russell Wilson? Is former MVP Lamar Jackson still clearly a better signal-caller?
Others in the mix...
Joe Burrow has had a shaky start to 2022, as have Matthew Stafford and Kirk Cousins. Tom Brady (I am sure I'll regret writing this) has been a game-manager to start the season and if you simply compare their performance on the field this season I don't think you can put him ahead of Hurts right now. Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence probably are still a little worse than Hurts at the moment — and the rest of the starters in the league probably don't have much of an argument.
Our (meaningless, reactionary ranking)...
Just for the fun of it, here's where we think Hurts belongs in the NFL's QB hierarchy after three exceptional performances:
| Rank | QB |
| 1. | Patrick Mahomes |
| 2. | Josh Allen |
| 3. | Justin Herbert |
| 4. | Aaron Rodgers |
| 5. | Lamar Jackson |
| 6. | Jalen Hurts |
| 7. | Kyler Murray |
| 8. | Joe Burrow |
| 9. | Dak Prescott |
| 10. | Russell Wilson |
| 11. | Tom Brady |
| 12. | Matthew Stafford |
| 13. | Trevor Lawrence |
| 14. | Derek Carr |
| 15. | Tua Tagovailoa |
Would you trade Hurts straight up for anyone listed below him on our rankings here?
It looks like there is nothing Hurts can't do early this season. He can throw accurately (he completed over 80% in Week 2), he can go deep, he can go over the middle, and he can win with his legs if the defense gives him an opening.
The Eagles will go as far as Jalen Hurts takes them, and for the moment it looks like he is making them legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Follow Evan on Twitter: @evan_macy
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports