Sep 25, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Jalen Hurts, Eagles aim to exact revenge vs. Commanders

Stretching back to December 2021, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has won 20 of his past 21 starts in the regular season.

He will have an opportunity to atone for the lone blemish on Sunday when Philadelphia (3-0) hosts the Washington Commanders (2-1) in the first NFC East game of the season for both teams.

Hurts and the Eagles started 8-0 last season before the Commanders pulled off a 32-21 stunner on a Monday night in Philadelphia. Hurts passed for two touchdowns and ran for another in that game, but the Eagles turned it over four times — fumbling on three of their last four possessions — and couldn’t stop Washington on long drives of 12, 13, 14 and 16 plays.

Philadelphia is off to another fast start, opening 3-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1992 and 1993.

Hurts passed for 277 yards and scored both a throwing and rushing touchdown in Monday’s 25-11 road win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also threw his second and third picks of the season, already half of his total from last year’s MVP runner-up campaign.

A.J. Brown caught nine passes for 131 yards against the Bucs after being held to 29 yards in a Week 2 victory against the Minnesota Vikings. D’Andre Swift followed up his 175-yard effort against the Vikings with 130 rushing yards at Tampa.

After allowing 364 passing yards and four touchdown throws by Kirk Cousins in Week 2 and 316 yards and three TDs by New England’s Mac Jones in Week 1, the Philadelphia defense limited Baker Mayfield to 146 yards and one TD on Monday night.

The Eagles gained 472 yards of offense and had 27 first downs against the Buccaneers, but coach Nick Sirianni still sees plenty of room for improvement.

“Are we playing our best offensive football right now? No, and we shouldn’t be yet, and it’s a growth,” Sirianni said. “All the teams are growing and no one’s playing the best football that they should be playing right now. I’ve been pleased with where we are.”

The Commanders certainly did not play their best football in last Sunday’s 37-3 home loss against Buffalo. The Bills sacked second-year quarterback Sam Howell nine times and intercepted him on four occasions, losing the shutout on Joey Slye’s 51-yard field goal with only 46 seconds left.

Washington converted only one of its 10 chances on third and fourth downs. Through three games, only the New York Jets (21.6 percent) are worse than the Commanders (25.8) on third down. Washington’s 19 sacks allowed are six more than any other team.

The Commanders have to quickly forget and reset to get ready for Sunday’s road challenge at Philly.

“They’re right now in first place in our division,” Washington coach Ron Rivera said. “Secondly, they were in the Super Bowl last year. Third, it’s a very difficult place to go (with) a passionate group of fans that are up there, but you know, that’s the challenge.

“You’re going into a very hostile environment. Great fan base, good football team. That’s a heck of a combination.”

Three players were deemed non-participants for the Eagles’ walk-through practice Wednesday: safeties Sydney Brown (hamstring) and Justin Evans (neck) and wide receiver Quez Watkins (hamstring).

Limited participants in Wednesday’s session for Washington were tight end Logan Thomas (concussion), running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (illness) and safety Percy Butler (foot).

–Field Level Media

Dec 4, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) walks off the field after win against the Tennessee Titans at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles WR A.J. Brown: No beef with QB Jalen Hurts

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown said he has no issue with quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Brown contends the two merely were involved in a “discussion” during last week’s home opener against the Minnesota Vikings when cameras caught them in an animated sideline interaction that boiled just enough to prompt head coach Nick Sirianni to step between them.

“The sideline discussion, I want you all to know that’s what it was, a discussion,” Brown said, via the Delaware News Journal. “It’s a game that we both love and I want everybody to understand that sometimes emotions run high and that’s kind of what happened. That doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. That doesn’t mean I’m beefing with Jalen.

“And no, it was not about targets. I’m sure everybody thought that because he threw me the ball three times in a row afterwards. But no, I was not over there discussing targets. It was about something that happened earlier and we were having a discussion about it.”

Brown, 26, recorded four catches for 29 yards in the 34-28 victory over Minnesota. His 11 receptions are tied for the team lead with DeVonta Smith, however Brown has yet to find the end zone this season.

Brown, who set a franchise record with 1,496 receiving yards last season, returns to action with the Eagles (2-0) on Monday night against the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0).

–Field Level Media

Feb 12, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, US; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) reacts after scoring against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles’ Jalen Hurts keeps reminder of Super Bowl loss at his fingertips

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is letting a painful moment from his past serve as daily motivation for his future every time he makes a call, sends a text or checks social media.

The lock screen on Hurts’ cell phone is a picture of himself walking off the field following the Eagles’ 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12.

That picture came to light after Eagles punter Ty Zentner posted a video to Instagram of a singing showcase by the team’s rookies. Hurts was seen taking out his phone to record the events.

Hurts threw for 304 yards and totaled four touchdowns (one passing, three rushing) in Super Bowl LVII. He followed that up by signing a five-year, $255 million extension in April that included nearly $179.4 million in total guarantees.

Hurts, who turns 25 next week, has thrown for 7,906 yards and 44 touchdowns against 19 interceptions in 45 games (34 starts) since being selected by the Eagles in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He’s also rushed for 1,898 yards and 26 TDs.

–Field Level Media

Feb 12, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, US; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) throws the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Jalen Hurts earns master’s degree from Oklahoma

As if leading his team to the Super Bowl and signing a massive contract extension weren’t enough, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts decided to add to his stellar year by earning a master’s degree.

Hurts, 24, received his master’s in human relations from Oklahoma on Friday, as a university vice president, Dr. David Surratt, posted to social media.

Hurts started his college football career at Alabama, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in communication and information sciences after only three years. He transferred to Oklahoma in 2019 and began working on his master’s degree.

The 24-year-old Hurts has said in interviews that he was inspired by his mother, who was a special education teacher around the time of his freshman year of college but saw colleagues around her being laid off and decided to be proactive.

“She went back to school, and she got her master’s to become a counselor,” Hurts told Essence in April. “That’s a living testimony for me.”

Earning his master’s degree caps off an eventful first half of 2023 for the Houston native.

In February, Hurts led the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Ariz., where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. The game included a controversial call against the Eagles with less than two minutes left that opened the door for the Chiefs to win, 38-35.

In April, Hurts signed a five-year contract extension worth $255 million, making him the highest paid player in NFL history on a per-year basis.

The Eagles open the season Sept. 10 on the road against the team they beat to win Super Bowl LII, the New England Patriots.

–Field Level Media

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) take the stage at the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix during the NFL's Super Bowl Opening Night on Feb. 6, 2023.

Nfl Super Bowl Lvii Opening Night Kansas City Chiefs

Jalen Hurts: ‘Money is nice, championships are better’

The Philadelphia Eagles selected Jalen Hurts in the second round of the NFL draft on April 24, 2020. Three years later to the day, they introduced Hurts as the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history.

Hurts, 24, met the media for about 20 minutes on Monday, his first public comments after signing a five-year, $255 million extension last week. His deal includes $179.3 million in total guarantees.

In answering a question about how the contract felt, Hurts gave an answer that will echo with Eagles’ fans for a long time.

“Money is nice, championships are better,” Hurts said, adding that the contract a “point in the journey,” not his arrival.

He thanked the Eagles for drafting him and putting him in position to lead the team and the city.

“Three years ago today, shocking the world and taking a kid from Oklahoma. I know a lot of people didn’t understand at the time but it happens,” Hurts said.

Hurts tops the $230 million contract the Cleveland Browns gave quarterback Deshaun Watson last year. Only Watson ($230M), Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson ($196M) and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray ($189.5M) received more guaranteed money in a single contract than Hurts.

Hurts also was asked why he didn’t push for a fully guaranteed contract, a la Deshaun Watson in Cleveland, or what Lamar Jackson is reportedly seeking with Baltimore.

“You look at all the great teams and great players, it takes a village,” Hurts said. “We got something special going on. We all wanna do it for a long time, so that was important to me to take that approach with it.”

He was later asked about his contract in contrast to other guys on the team who either don’t have a long-term deal and certainly won’t come close to his.

“I wanna win,” Hurts said. “It’s kinda awkward sitting here talking about that anyways, talking about money and all that. I’m a southern boy. But I love football. This is my life. … I know this is a building full of hungry individuals that are willing to do everything that needs to be done to win. I’m grateful to lead their path.”

Hurts piloted the Eagles to the Super Bowl last season, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.

A second-round pick drafted to be the backup to Carson Wentz, Hurts is 23-11 as the starter in three seasons (45 games) in Philly.

He has completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 7,906 yards and 44 touchdowns against 19 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 1,898 yards and 26 TDs.

Hurts has led the Eagles to back-to-back playoff appearances.

–Field Level Media

Feb 12, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, US; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) throws the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Eagles QB Jalen Hurts had offseason ankle surgery

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, the newly minted $255 man, underwent minor offseason surgery to remove hardware from his right ankle, ESPN reported Tuesday.

Hurts had the hardware inserted after sustaining a high-ankle sprain while still at Alabama in October 2018. The procedure to remove it was done in February, per the report.

Hurts will be a full participant in the Eagles’ offseason training program that begins next week.

Hurts and the Eagles agreed to a five-year extension on Monday that will pay Hurts $255 million, including $179.3 million in total guarantees, ESPN and NFL Network reported. The extension made Hurts the highest-paid player in NFL history after just 45 games as a pro.

Hurts is 23-11 as the starter in three seasons (45 games) in Philly.

He has completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 7,906 yards and 44 touchdowns against 19 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 1,898 yards and 26 TDs.

–Field Level Media

Feb 12, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, US; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles, QB Jalen Hurts agree to reported $255M extension

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts just became the highest-paid player in NFL history just 45 games into his career.

Hurts and the Eagles agreed on a five-year extension, a move Philadelphia trumpeted on Monday afternoon as offseason workouts began for the reigning NFC champions.

The Eagles will pay Hurts $255 million, including $179.3 million in total guarantees, ESPN and NFL Network reported. He gets $110 million at signing and another $126.5 million becomes fully guaranteed by March 2024, according to NFL Network.

The Eagles did not disclose financial terms but announced the sides agreed to a contract extension.

Hurts, 24, also gets a full no-trade clause, a first in Eagles franchise history.

Hurts tops the $230 million contract the Cleveland Browns gave quarterback Deshaun Watson last year. Only Watson ($230M) and Cardinals QB Kyler Murray ($189.5M) received more guaranteed money in a single contract than Hurts.

Hurts piloted the Eagles to the Super Bowl last season, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.

A second-round pick drafted to be the backup to Carson Wentz, Hurts is 23-11 as the starter in three seasons (45 games) in Philly.

He has completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 7,906 yards and 44 touchdowns against 19 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 1,898 yards and 26 TDs.

Hurts has led the Eagles to back-to-back playoff appearances.

The Eagles selected Hurts with the 53rd overall pick in the 2020 draft after he played one season at Oklahoma. A national champion at Alabama, Hurts transferred after losing the starting job with the Crimson Tide to Tua Tagovailoa.

–Field Level Media

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) drops back to pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Feb. 12, 2023.

Nfl Super Bowl Lvii Kansas City Chiefs Vs Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles’ Jalen Hurts declines to address potential contract extension

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts isn’t interested in talking about dollars and cents just yet.

Hurts was asked about the possibility of signing a long-term contract extension this offseason on Tuesday, two days removed from the Eagles dropping a 38-35 decision to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.

“The thing that I’m most focused on is winning,” Hurts said. “The only thing I care about is winning, and ultimately winning championships. So, there will be a day where the conversation can be had, but today isn’t that day.”

NFL Network reported prior to the Super Bowl that the Eagles were prepared to open contract negotiations with Hurts.

Hurts, 24, is slated to make approximately $4.3 million during the final season of his rookie contract in 2023.

Every NFL team passed on Hurts at least once in the 2020 NFL Draft, which featured three quarterbacks among the top six selections — Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals), Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins) and Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers). The Green Bay Packers drafted Jordan Love 26th, 27 picks before Hurts was selected by the Eagles.

When the Eagles drafted Hurts, it was on the heels of signing former first-round pick Carson Wentz to a four-year, $128 million extension. In 2021, general manager Howie Roseman made the call to move on from Wentz, trading him to the Indianapolis Colts to clear a path for Hurts.

Hurts completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 3,701 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions in 15 games this season. He also rushed for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Jalen Hurts, Eagles quarterback, answers questions from journalists during a press conference at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, in Phoenix.

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Eagles’ Jalen Hurts focuses on consistency ahead of Super Bowl

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

That’s the attitude Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is taking as he approaches his Super Bowl LVII clash with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in Glendale, Ariz.

Despite being just days away from the biggest game of his career, Hurts is focused on maintaining the same routine that helped him post a 14-1 record as a starter in the 2022 regular season and then earn a playoff wins over the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers.

“I’ve been doing the same things that I’ve done all year,” Hurts said Wednesday regarding his work ahead of the Super Bowl. “My preparation hasn’t changed, this team’s preparation hasn’t changed. We’ve kind of gone into it with a day-to-day mentality. Taking it day by day. Trying to master the day, win the day and doing it that way.”

Much of that preparation came well before the regular season started.

“I think the important thing is to always fall back on your work,” Hurts said. “I was telling A.J. (Brown) today, I said it’s no different than us being at FAU getting our work in there in the offseason. … We prepared really well all offseason, had really good time with each other, got on the same page with the coaches in terms of how we wanted this offense to look.

“I don’t think anything is going to change in terms of our planning going into the game.”

A lot of the game-planning has centered around Philadelphia’s receiving core, a dangerous unit led by DeVonta Smith (95 receptions, 1,196 yards, seven touchdowns), Brown (88 receptions, 1,496 yards, 11 TDs) and tight end Dallas Goedert (55 receptions, 702 yards, three TDs).

Hurts has come to rely upon that group, specifically Smith and Brown, and will be leaning on them heavily when the Eagles take on Kansas City.

“Birds of a feather flock together. And I think those are guys that I call true friends, and not only because the men that they are, but the friends that they are, the competitors they are, what drives them, what motivates them to be great,” Hurts said. “We come in every day eager to take another step.

“No one is independent in this thing. We’re all dependent off of one another. So we challenge each other, we encourage each other and we push each other.”

Regardless of the result on Sunday, Hurts is honored that he has the chance to represent those who got him to where he is today as well as those who are currently looking up to him.

“It’s a ton of pride in everything that’s going on right now,” Hurts said. “When you’re (thrust) into these situations, you’re (given) these opportunities at hand, you don’t really realize the impact you’re doing until you reflect on it.

“To have these opportunities and be able to represent so many different people … people back home in Texas, quarterbacks that maybe they said they couldn’t do something or whatever it is, just believers — it’s something I definitely have on my heart when I’m out there playing.

“I heard someone say it — I don’t know if it was Michael Jordan or Kobe (Bryant) — but sometimes you get families and kids that save up all their money just to go to that one game. Just to go to that one game. They might not ever get to see you play in person again. So, you definitely want to put on a show for them when they’re coming.”

–Field Level Media

Feb 6, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) speaks with media during Super Bowl Opening Night at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Jalen Hurts, Eagles determined to finish job vs. Chiefs

Quarterback Jalen Hurts is confident about the Philadelphia Eagles’ mindset entering the Super Bowl.

“I didn’t put in all that work for no reason. I feel like this team hasn’t put in all the work that we’ve put in for no reason,” he said. “We’ve come here to finish the job we set out to do.”

Hurts referred to “the work” time after time during his remarks on Monday at Super Bowl LVII Opening Night, held at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.

Hurts is 16-1 as the starter for the NFC champion Eagles this season heading into Sunday’s showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs.

“We just want to go out there and do what we’ve done this whole entire time, to try and play clean football and play together,” Hurts said. “I didn’t work this hard to stay the same. I put all this work in, we put all this work in, to have opportunities like this. It’ll be a fun one.”

Hurts, 24, is a finalist to become the first Eagles player to win NFL MVP since 1960. He passed for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns while rushing for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns during the regular season.

A team captain, Hurts was asked if he had anything planned for Sunday’s pregame speech.

“Everything comes from the heart,” he said. “I prepare. I try to think about something that will get the guys going, but I don’t need to say too much. We’ve put all that work in. Everything that we’ve kind of overcome.”

Hurts didn’t want to talk about his recovery from a shoulder injury that knocked him out of two games (both losses) in Weeks 16 and 17.

“I don’t want to make this about me. I want to make it about the work that we put in,” he said. “The only thing I want to do is always quantify my work. We didn’t come this far or no reason. … We want to go out there and play our best game when we need it most.”

–Field Level Media