Jalen Hurts’ inconsistency with Eagles is maddening. This bonkers stat puts it in perspective

Ask ten or so NFL fans what they think about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, and you’re guaranteed to get a different answer each time.

“He’s a top-five quarterback.” “He’s mid.” “He’s good, but not really top-five material.” “He’s awful, and the Eagles should trade him.”

Even after winning a Super Bowl last season, these comments never really went away. After the Eagles had a dreadful year this season that ended in an early exit, the discussion around Hurts has only intensified. Is Hurts a great quarterback who was saddled by the curse that was Kevin Patullo? Or is he simply not as elite as his ardent fans say he is?

Hurts’ inconsistency over the last few years has been a major factor in these conversations. The fact of the matter is that Hurts has been maddeningly inconsistent over the course of his career. He’ll have a season like last year, where he’ll throw for fewer yards but post his highest completion percentage of his career. Or, the Eagles QB will have a season like this year, where his air yardage is up, but his completion rate is the lowest it’s been since his first year as a full-time starter.

Well, the answer may lie with who’s been coaching him up. With Patullo getting fired this offseason, the Eagles are once again on the hunt for a new offensive coordinator. That also means that Hurts will have a sixth offensive coordinator in his seventh year in the league, as a post on the r/NFL subreddit pointed out. Going back to his college years, Hurts has cycled through 10 different OCs in 11 years.

Philly’s never-ending OC cycle has done more harm to Hurts

When you look at some of the best quarterbacks in the league who entered at the same time as Hurts, their teams often surround the star with a consistent coaching staff. Patrick Mahomes has only had two offensive coordinators in his nine-year career. Josh Allen has three in his eight years in the league. Joe Burrow, who entered the league in the same year as the Eagles quarterback, has two OCs in that time period. Lamar Jackson has three in his eight-year career, with one of them being the OC for just one year in his rookie season. Dak Prescott might be the outlier, but even he hasn’t experienced the same rate of coaching turnover as Hurts, having four OCs in nine years.

It’s no wonder, then, that Hurts hasn’t looked consistently great throughout his career. Talent matters, yes, and the Eagles quarterback has that and then some. He’s a mobile quarterback who has great accuracy and can make big-time throws when needed. However, quarterbacks rely heavily on their familiarity with the offense to succeed.

Different coaches have different ways of how they want a play to be run. They might ask the quarterback to take a different dropback here, or go under center instead of shotgun. Their read progression might also be different; how they sequence their plays is different, even the concepts they call will be different. For a veteran quarterback, that adjustment may come easier.

For Hurts, though, he’s never had the complete mastery of an offensive system. The closest he arguably got was in 2021 and 2022, when Shane Steichen was his offensive coordinator. Steichen’s offensive system was geared towards Hurts’ strengths as a quarterback. The Eagles star struggled in his first year under Steichen, but he was rewarded with his breakout season the following year, throwing for 3,701 yards while completing 66.5% of his passes and throwing 22 touchdowns to six interceptions.

The problem with having good coordinators, though, is that they get poached all the time. The Indianapolis Colts hired Steichen after that season, and he was replaced by Brian Johnson. Johnson’s stint with the Eagles is much-reviled by fans for good reason. Under him, the offense regressed from their previous form. Hurts was still good from a yardage standpoint (career-high 3,858 yards), but he threw 15 interceptions in the season.

Kellen Moore came in as the offensive coordinator the following season, and he masterfully helped the Eagles to a Super Bowl win. Philly’s reliance on Saquon Barkley dampened Hurts’ stats, but he posted his career-best completion rate under Steichen and limited his turnovers. Again, Moore’s excellence led to him getting hired by the New Orleans Saints. In came Patullo, and, well, this season happened.

This isn’t a complete defense of Hurts. Despite his traits, the Eagles quarterback still has some gaps in his game that limit his ceiling as a passer. Still, by cycling between offensive coordinators year after year, you don’t give your franchise quarterback any favors. Let’s hope that the Eagles’ next hire sticks around for longer than one season.

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