Jalen Hurts was asked about the rollercoaster journey of his college and pro career that culminated in a Super Bowl MVP award with the Eagles.
For years, the NFL “experts” said he wasn’t good enough. He didn’t do enough.
Through every win, every playoff milestone, it wasn’t enough.
They even said, on the verge on appearing in his second career Super Bowl, that there wasn’t anything he could do to get in.
"I don't think there's anything Jalen [Hurts] can do to be in the conversation with [Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen] as players." —@danorlovsky7 😯 pic.twitter.com/fP12UcNglV
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 4, 2025
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They can’t keep him out now.
Jalen Hurts was never mentioned in that top-tier of NFL quarterbacks, the Short List. Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, names that command respect. Mahomes has everything: all the wins, all the rings, he’s a Hall of Famer if he walks away from the game today. He’s the best in the game right now, and has plenty of time to chase Tom Brady for GOAT status.
Jackson has two league MVP trophies, Allen just won his first. Burrow… has brand recognition. He’s a very good quarterback, but honestly, his resume isn’t among the best in breed. He beat Mahomes in the playoffs, and made it to a Super Bowl. He has a 38-30-1 regular season record. But there’s one thing missing from the accomplishments of these three greats: a Super Bowl ring.
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Jalen Hurts has a ring, and much more.
But Hurts doesn’t care about stats, he cares about wins and rings, and now he has a ring. Something Jackson, Allen, and Burrow don’t. For all of their success, that’s where they fall short. With all due respect to Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, he’s not well-known as a winner. He came out of relative obscurity, won a Super Bowl, then quickly returned to obscurity.
Hurts also wins at a rate equal to, if not better than, the guys on the Short List. Counting the postseason, Hurts has won 51 games over the past four years. Mahomes has 62 wins, Allen 53, Jackson 42, Burrow 41.
There’s also the matter of going head-to-head with the best, and rising to the challenge. Burrow beat Mahomes in the postseason, and deserves props for it. Jackson is 0-1 vs Mahomes in the playoffs, Allen is 0-4.
Hurts has faced the NFL’s Final Boss on the game’s greatest stage twice, and while the results are split, you can argue that Hurts outplayed Mahomes in both games.
Hurts ticks every box. He won a ton in the regular season since becoming a full-time starter four seasons ago. He has had postseason success. He went head-to-head with the best in the game, in the Super Bowl, and fired up a victory cigar afterwards.
Forget putting some respect on Jalen Hurts’ name. Put all the respect on his name.
