Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has built a resumè that puts him alongside some of the premier players at the position.
Two Super Bowl appearances, with a ring on his finger and a Super Bowl MVP award on the mantle, a play that he is so successful at converting that the NFL attempted to vote it into extinction this offseason, and seems tailor made to maximize one of the most explosive supporting casts in football.
However, as the 2025 season approaches, the Eagles are going to need Hurts to be significantly better on third down, which Pro Football Focus lists as the 27-year-old’s Kryptonite thus far in his career.
“Hurts’ 54.0 third-down PFF passing grade in 2024 ranked second to last among returning starting quarterbacks,” John Kosko writes for PFF. “He had just three outings where his third-down PFF passing grade surpassed 80.0, though one was the NFC Championship game.
“Hurts did finish with an 80.2 PFF passing grade on money downs in 2023, and since play on third downs isn’t stable, he might return to top-tier play in 2025.”
Philadelphia is among the more dominant fourth-down offenses in the NFL, thanks in part to the tush-push, converting 70.97 percent of fourth down opportunities last season, third most in the NFL.
However, if Hurts doesn’t improve on third downs, or at least setting up as many or more fourth and short opportunities for Philadelphia this season, the Eagles’ offense may not be as prolific as it was in powering a Super Bowl run last season.
Eagles Continue to Collect Depth Cornerbacks
Mitchell Leff | Getty ImagesThe Philadelphia Eagles have signed former third-round pick, cornerback Ambry Thomas to the practice squad.
General manager Howie Roseman vowed that the Eagles weren’t done tinkering with the roster, even after cutting down to 53 players, and Philadelphia continues to add depth at key positions of need ahead of Week 1.
Even after signing defensive back Marcus Epps, the Eagles doubled down on defensive back help, signing Ambry Thomas to the practice squad.
Thomas, 25, was originally chosen by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, where he spent the first three seasons of his career before being released by the Minnesota Vikings as part of their final roster cuts earlier this week.
The former Michigan standout arrives in Philadelphia with 79 total tackles, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Ahead of the regular season, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and the Eagles still seem uncertain about who will be the best option as the No. 3 cornerback following an open competition for the spot throughout training camp and the preseason.
Philadelphia has also added cornerbacks Parry Nickerson, Brandon Johnson and Eli Ricks to the practice squad, underscoring that the position remains very much in a state of flux for the defending champions.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Eagles Need Jalen Hurts to Overcome Critical Quarterback Kryptonite appeared first on Heavy Sports.