Despite leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl title, the Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts spent much of the offseason under scrutiny about his leadership, relationships within the locker room, and his fit in the evolving offense.

John McMullen of Sports Illustrated believes that the 2026 season could potentially shape Hurts' future in securing his long-term extension with the Eagles.

“By any objective measure, Jalen Hurts has had a high level of success," McMullen stated on June 28. "Yet, the quarterback remains a polarizing figure entering an uncertain season. The reason is simple: the projected money moving forward and the demonstrated performance in the rearview mirror may no longer be lining up the way they once did." 

According to McMullen's Sports Illustrated report, Hurts remains one of the most polarizing players in the NFL, despite his successful resume of leading the Eagles to two NFC Championships and two Super Bowl appearances.

Hurts is entering his sixth season as the QB1 with the Eagles with just $22M in guarantees. He signed a five-year, $255M contract with the Eagles, including a $23.29M signing bonus and a $51M AAV in 2023, keeping him through the 2027 season, per Spotrac.

McMullen also noted that the 2026 season could be a final 'audition' for Hurts, as the franchise will evaluate his contract extension. This could propel him upwards among the highest-paid QBs in the league on an annual value basis (above $60M).

However, with a cap space of just $24.6 million in 2026, it is uncertain if Philadelphia will take that leap with the dual-threat QB.

Hurts has led the Eagles to five straight playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title in 2025. He also completed 294 of 454 passes attempted (64.8%) for 3,224 yards and 25 touchdowns, along with a 98.5 passer rating across 16 games played last season. 

McMullen believes that the current contract value for the QB is an enormous investment.

However, he observed that Hurts has embraced the new offensive system quickly and has always elevated his play when facing doubts, making him truly deserving of it.

Hurts' spring struggles came amid major offensive changes

John McMullen noted in the same article that Hurts' offseason struggles were mainly due to the sudden changes on the offensive side of the ball.

"Hurts also didn’t have a strong spring either - though to be fair, none of the Eagles quarterbacks did as the offense began its transition to a Shanahan/McVay-style scheme under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion," McMullen wrote. 

Significant offensive changes include trading one of Philadelphia's best offensive weapons, A.J.Brown, an unavailable receiver group due to DaVonta Smith being away from training for his wedding, and rookie Makai Lemon dealing with a hamstring injury.

McMullen also added that getting acclimated to the schemes of the new OC Mannion and QB coach Parks Frazier could have made for a quieter offseason for the Super Bowl winner.

Despite raising questions about Hurts long-term value, McMullen believes it's too early to react to the quarterback's recent struggles, considering he always delivered 'when questions swirl around him'.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan