After going one-and-done in the playoffs this past season and trading away star wide receiver AJ Brown in the offseason, Philadelphia Eagles fans have some concerns about starting QB Jalen Hurts as the 2026 season approaches. He didn't exactly ease those concerns with his performance in practice today.
On Tuesday, with starting wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon both sidelined with injuries, Hurts put up some pretty uninspiring numbers. He went just 6-of-19 with no touchdowns and one interception, according to Eagles reporter Elio Shorr-Parks.
The following day was a marked improvement as Hurts nearly doubled his accuracy by going 6-of-10 with no interceptions.
Bad Offense or Great Defense?
While some fans were understandably concerned for Hurts' performance in practice, others dismissed it as a byproduct of Hurts going up against the Eagles' superb defense without his two best targets - a prospect that most QBs would likely struggle with.
"No WR 1-2 vs a top 5 defense. Yea everyone would struggle," one Eagles fan replied.
"Breaking: Quarterback is less effective when his two top receivers aren't playing. News at 11," wrote another.
"Oh no his stars are missing & he is still going thru a new offense & they are still practicing it oh noooooo plus don’t forget he was missing his OL men too," a third wrote.
"Hurts didn't struggle. The players he threw to struggled. They were down to just 3 healthy WR at one point. There were lots of drops. That's why numbers like this without content is just engagement farming. I'm sorry I fell for it."
"It’s training camp. You’re allowed to make progress and make mistakes. That’s the point of it all."
Hurts isn't going anywhere and neither is head coach Nick Sirianni, no matter how much people in the media gripe about it. Short of having a legitimately bad season where they miss the playoffs entirely, both of their jobs are going to be safe.
Hand-wringing over practice results is pretty much pointless.
