"He just can't throw the football well enough" - Shannon Sharpe does not believe Jalen Hurts is long-term answer at QB for Eagles
When the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts in the second-round of the 2020 NFL draft, they had hopes that he would become the eventual starter. Carson Wentz started and played for most of the 2020 season before the Eagles decided to see what their rookie could do.
Hurts finished his rookie campaign 1-3 as the starter. He went into the 2021 season as a starter. That year, he took them to the playoffs.
Shannon Sharpe spoke on Undisputed and said that he doesn't think Hurts is the answer for the Eagles at quarterback. Sharpe said:
"I don't believe he's the answer to what they want to do. His legs will win you some games in the regular season. You might make the playoffs considering they're in the NFC East. He just can't throw the football well enough, consistently enough to be your long term solution."
He went on:
"He's 38 out of 44 quarterbacks in completion percentage since he came into the league. He's 1-7 against teams that made the playoffs. He beat the Saints in his first game and he's lost his last seven starts. He's 8-4 versus non-playoff teams."
In his second season, Hurts led the Eagles to the Wild Card round of the playoffs. They faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first-round and fell to them, 31-15. In the loss, he threw for 258 yards and a touchdown, but fumbled once and threw two interceptions.
Final: #Eagles fall to the #Bucs by a score of 31-15
They will possess picks 15, 16, and 19 in the NFL draft https://t.co/rzMgJloc88
The Eagles could draft a quarterback next year to replace Jalen Hurts
If the Eagles decide they want to move on from Hurts next season, they'll have the draft capital to do so. They own two first-round picks in next year's draft, and the 2023 quarterback draft class is expected to be a deep one.
The Eagles made the playoffs last season and they had a good draft this year, highlighted by Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean.
The biggest move the Eagles made this off-season was trading for Pro-Bowl wide receiver AJ Brown from the Tennessee Titans.
Eagles are giving AJ Brown a 4-year, $100 million extension that includes $57 million guaranteed, per source.
In his career, the Eagles quarterback is 9-10 as a starter with a passer rating of 84.7, completing 59 percent of passes. With the additions Philadelphia have made this offseason, expectations will be higher. If he doesn't show signs of improvement this season, the Eagles could well move on and draft a new quarterback in 2023.