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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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You'd think winning the Philadelphia Eagles their second-ever Super Bowl just two years ago would quiet the critics.
That hasn't been the case for Jalen Hurts, who enters 2026 under more pressure than arguably any Super Bowl MVP in recent memory.
Hurts finished 2025 with 3,224 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and just six interceptions, completing 64.8% of his passes. He also finished with a passer rating of 98.5, which ranked just outside the top 10 among NFL quarterbacks — respectable on the surface, largely thanks to his low turnover rate.
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But those surface-level stats mask the real problems. His 7.1 yards per attempt was a career low, that 64.8% completion percentage was his worst mark in four years, and his 421 rushing yards were his lowest total since his rookie season in 2020, when he carried the ball just 63 times as Carson Wentz's backup.
The Eagles' designed-run-heavy attack that once made Hurts one of the NFL's most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks looked nothing like that last season.
Philadelphia finished 24th in total offense and 19th in scoring, numbers that eventually cost offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo his job. With first-time coordinator Sean Mannion taking his place, Hurts is under real pressure to perform right away in a new system, now with his sixth different OC in his career.
Oh, and he'll have to do it without A.J. Brown, who's now in New England.
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Mannion reportedly wants to install more motion, more play-action, and have a more balanced pass game. That's a notable shift for a quarterback who some around the league described as having "rigid preferences."
It was recently reported that Hurts and Mannion are "working well together" and that Hurts likes the offense that Mannion has built. But those are just words for now.
The financial situation adds another layer to this. Hurts is still owed $51 million guaranteed in 2026, but that number drops to just $22 million in 2027. With a dead cap hit of only $2.9 million if traded before June 1, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, another disappointing season might make it easier to justify the Eagles heading in a new direction.
With Brown now a Patriot, DeVonta Smith will need to be Philly's WR1 for the first time since his 2021 rookie year. First-round pick Makai Lemon may be leaned on more than any other rookie in the league, while Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown will be expected to pick up some of the slack as well.
Jalen Carter, entering a contract year, has been at the center of attention for much of the offseason. He too needs a big year. But no one in Philadelphia carries the weight Hurts does to reestablish himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
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