Jalen Hurts’ return to Super Bowl comes with quiet dominance
Star Black quarterbacks no longer are the exception – they’re the rule. Throughout the football season, this series will explore the prominence and impact of Black QBs from the grassroots level to the NFL.
PHILADELPHIA — The magical rookie season of Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels came to an end at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. With a 55-23 shellacking, the Philadelphia Eagles ended Daniels’ impressive rookie run and punched their ticket to the Super Bowl for the second time since 2022.
Going into Sunday’s game there were three themes. Obviously, the play of Daniels who took the league by storm and was on the verge of becoming the first rookie quarterback to lead a team to a Super Bowl. As much or more than anything else he accomplished this season, Daniels helped to largely eliminate much of the stench created by the Dan Snyder ownership years. Daniels has made the franchise embraceable.
The second prominent theme was the sensational record-breaking season for Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. In his seventh NFL season and first season with the Eagles, Barkley single-handedly breathed life and relevancy (and hopefully elevated compensation) into the running back position. NFL teams, the Eagles included, have long shied away from spending big money on running backs. Every team pays lip service to the importance of establishing the running game, but they have been reluctant — perhaps until now — to pay running backs at an elite level.
The New York Giants moved on from Barkley because they didn’t want to invest in a 27-year-old running back who had been injured. This time, though the Eagles said “Yes” and signed Barkley to a three-year, $37.7 million contract with $26 million guaranteed.
They look like geniuses, while the Giants look like fools. Barkley rushed for a franchise record 2,005 yards this season and finished just 101 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s season record of 2,105 yards. He also set an NFL record with six rushing touchdowns of 60-plus yards in a season. Barkley is only 148 yards away from breaking Terrell Davis’s record 2,476 set during the 1998 season when the Denver Broncos reached and won the Super Bowl.
Barkley made his point loud and clear on his first play from scrimmage Sunday when he scored on a 60-yard run. He would score twice more on the day and finish with 118 yards rushing.
But I said there were three major themes going into Sunday’s game. While Barkley ran and Daniels had his moments, the most significant theme of the afternoon was the quiet dominance of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
Typically, Hurts’ passing statistics were not eye-popping — 20-of-28 for 246 yards and a touchdown. But he scored three touchdowns on the ground on two 1-yard runs and a 9-yard run.
Hurts is not impressed by numbers.
“I don’t play the game for stats,” he said. “I don’t play the game for numbers, any statistical approval from anyone else. Winning and success is defined by that particular individual; it’s all relative to that person and what I define it as winning. And so, my No. 1 goal is to always come out and win. The standard is to win.”
For all practical purposes Hurts played on one leg during Sunday’s game. He injured his knee last week in the Eagles’ divisional victory over the Los Angeles Rams. After Sunday’s game, the understated Hurts was asked how he was able to prepare to play.
“It was challenging,” he said. “It was challenging and in some ways exhausting, dealing with a little sickness as well. But it was a group effort.”
I’m tempted to call Hurts the NFL’s forgotten elite quarterback, but it’s hard to say that a quarterback who led his team to a 14-3 regular season record is forgotten.
It would be safe to say that Hurts has been overshadowed.
He has been overshadowed by the well-deserved praise heaped on Daniels. He has been overshadowed by Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is likely to win a third league MVP award. He has been overshadowed by Josh Allen, the Buffalo Bills’ swashbuckling quarterback. He has been overshadowed by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has won three Super Bowl rings and is making a third-consecutive Super Bowl appearance.
But while Daniels, Jackson and Allen are at home, Hurts is headed back to the Super Bowl and a rematch of Super Bowl LVII against the Chiefs and Mahomes. He will be the third Black quarterback, joining Mahomes and Russell Wilson, to have played in two Super Bowls.
Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
Hurts led the Eagles to a 14-3 record in 2022 and a berth in Super Bowl LVII against Kansas City. The game marked the first time two Black quarterback met in the Super Bowl. The Eagles lost 38-35 and while Hurts played well, he lost a fumble which was returned for a touchdown.
Still, despite everything Hurts has accomplished in Philadelphia, there are still critics who say Hurts only succeeds because he is surrounded by exceptional talent. Some call him a glorified game manager.
Immediately after Sunday’s game and again during his postgame media session, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni addressed the criticism.
“It’s amazing how much doubt there is,” Sirianni said. “Sometimes I can’t comprehend it. Because it doesn’t look like people think it should look like? But the guy has been clutch. He’s won a ton of football games.
“If we rush for 300 yards and pass for one and we win, great, if we run for one yard and pass for 300, great. Who cares? We just continue to win. He just continues to win.”
Sunday was a day when a great running back (Barkley) added to his legacy and a talented rookie quarterback (Daniels) learned valuable lessons. Sunday was also a day that wise Eagles fans learned that they have a rare gem in Hurts. Some may not like Hurts style, or may not like the “Brotherly Shove,” or may not like how much he runs. But they like the results.
And isn’t that what matters?
“He deals with so much criticism, which just blows my mind,” Sirianni said. “This guy wins. He’s won his entire life. Winning at quarterback is more important than any stat you go through.
“I don’t want anybody else leading this team at quarterback other than him. He’s a winner.”