If you love a good sports debate, just lock a bunch of NFL analysts in a room and have them rank Jalen Hurts among the league’s top quarterbacks.
It seems like no one can agree where to place Hurts among the league’s elite entering the 2024 season. The Philadelphia Eagles star got little-to-no love from former NFL QB and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, who recently ranked the league’s top signal callers in seven individual traits. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell also predicted 5 NFL teams most likely to decline this season, picking the Eagles while mentioning Hurts as the second-most overrated quarterback in the NFL.
Hurts’ teammates and competitors, however, propped him up in the annual NFL Top 100 Players list. Hurts was ranked 15th overall entering 2024, including No. 4 among quarterbacks behind Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.
But the hits keep coming from ESPN, which released its projections for the top 100 players in 2024 on Monday. Hurts came in at No. 32 overall in that one, behind Mahomes, Jackson, Allen, Joe Burrow, C.J. Stroud, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert and Brock Purdy among quarterbacks.
Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News gave his own take on the position this week, ranking Hurts No. 6. Here’s his rationale:
Hurts and the Eagles' offense had a down season after losing offensive coordinator Shane Steichen post-Super Bowl. They didn't have a clear identity with running or passing, other than Hurts chucking downfield and being pushed into the red zone. He should respond with smoother, versatile passing under Kellen Moore and rely less on taking that pounding inside minus Jason Kelce.
From the top, Iyer’s rankings went: Mahomes, Burrow, Allen, Jackson, Prescott and then Hurts. Eagles and Cowboys fans could argue until they’re blue in the face on Prescott vs. Hurts. Truth is, they’re both top-10 quarterbacks and deserve to be in the conversation for top-five.
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