Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts might be the most criticized quarterback in the entire NFL.
Hurts isn’t a perfect player, but given the success that he’s already achieved in his career – two Super Bowl appearances and one victory in the Big Game – the criticism aimed at him often feels forced or misplaced. In fact, it often feels like Hurts is held to a different standard than other quarterbacks in the league.
One Eagles legend has had enough of the disrespect when it comes to Philadelphia’s franchise QB.
Terrell Owens Says Jalen Hurts is a Top 3 QB in NFL
During a recent interview with Rotogrinders, legendary Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens defended Hurts against detractors while sharing some high praise for the former Super Bowl MVP.
“Those Eagles are going to be as good as Jalen Hurts takes [them], and he’s obviously top two or three quarterback in this league. It’s really a travesty. It’s just disrespectful, I hear they don’t even have this guy in the top 15 of top quarterbacks in the league, which is really stupid and ridiculous, considering he’s been to two Super Bowls and won Super Bowl MVP,” Owens said.
“That’s crazy. This kid, he knows how to win. It may not be flashy. It may not be with the gaudy numbers in the air with the expectations of your Joe Burrows, your Justin Herberts, your Patrick Mahomes, your Josh Allens.
“But Jalen Hurts is doing what is expected of the three guys, the three quarterbacks that I just named. To not have him in the top five is just stupid. You shouldn’t even have a job as an analyst or a commentator to not have this guy in your top five of quarterbacks, considering what he’s done in a short period of time.”
Owens certainly has a point. Hurts has won in the NFL at a higher clip than any of his contemporaries, save for Mahomes, but his abilities are still consistently questioned. At this point, it’s fair to wonder what, if anything, Hurts could do to silence the critics.
Luckily, Hurts doesn’t seem like a guy who pays too much attention to outside noise, which is a great trait for a QB to have, especially in Philadelphia.
Jalen Hurts off to a Slow Start in 2026
While Hurts often takes more blame than he should, his play so far this season has left a lot to be desired. After a solid start to the season, the last two weeks have been ugly for Hurts and the Eagles’ offense.
Hurts threw for a total of just 246 yards and two touchdowns over the last two weeks. That would be a solid stat line for a single game, but certainly not for two. Both Hurts and Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion have to figure out a way to get Philadelphia’s passing attack going, because it’s currently one of the worst in the entire NFL.
Injury issues to key contributors have played a part in that, but everyone involved in the offense needs to be better, including Hurts, who would likely be the first to tell you that he hasn’t played up to his own standards as of late. Until he does, the external criticism is only going to continue to get louder.
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