Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is headed into a tough road game against the Jaguars in Week 5 without top offensive weapons DaVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley. Adversity is nothing new for the former Nick Saban protege and Alabama Crimson Tide star Hurts, who spoke about losing two key lineman as well.
Saban spoke about Hurts at length on College GameDay during Week 6's big slate of college football action. He recalled benching Hurts in favor of Tua Tagovailoa at halftime of the 2018 national championship game, which led to a 26-23 comeback win over the Georgia Bulldogs.
“This was one of the most difficult decisions I ever had to make as a coach,” Saban said, noting he was 26-2 as a starter at the time of his benching. “The thing that's understated about all this is how Jalen Hurts managed and handled the difficult circumstance that he was put in,” he added, noting he came back the next year and led Alabama to the SEC championship.
Article Continues Below“This guy's character in that situation has been…Just understated. And I think people should really recognize, just how much character he really has…I'm proud of the way he handled that, and it made him better. So sometimes when bad things happen, it makes you better.”
Hurts completed 44.4% of his passes for 93 yards in his team's 24-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last week and is facing criticism amid a hailstorm of Eagles injuries. Multiple Eagles offensive line changes are expected in light of injuries that have occurred leading up to Week 6's game in Jacksonville. Hurts has the physical and mental toughness to weather the storm, but it won't be easy. Saban's recognition of his former star seemed aimed just as much at Eagles fans as it did Hurts himself, an intriguing story line to watch heading into Week 5.