Despite leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl title two years ago, quarterback Jalen Hurts enters the 2026 season with doubts about his future. One ESPN analyst believes this year could be a defining season for the Eagles' signal-caller.

ESPN's Dan Graziano questioned Hurts' fit and responsibility in the new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion's system, as he believes Hurts' long-term future with the Eagles could depend on how the offense performs in 2026.

"Is Jalen Hurts' future in Philly on the line this season?" Graziano wrote. "It would feel terribly unfair if it were, given that Hurts was the Super Bowl MVP 16 months ago, they just traded away his best wide receiver, and he has to learn a new offense for the foreverth offseason in a row."

The Eagles shook up the NFL landscape earlier this month by trading star wide receiver A. J. Brown to the New England Patriots.

Over the last three seasons, the Eagles' offense has steadily evolved from a run-heavy RPO attack into a system featuring more under-center looks and play-action concepts. The latest shift now comes with OC Sean Mannion, who replaced Kevin Patullo.

Graziano raised caution in his article about Hurts' situation as the Eagles follow an approach of moving on at key positions when they believe a change is necessary.

Hurts signed a five-year, $255M contract, which includes a $23.29M signing bonus and an average annual value of $51M in 2023, that will keep him through the 2028 season with the Eagles, according to Spotrac.

Hurts completed 294 of 454 passes attempted (64.8%) for 3,224 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2025, having never reached 4,000 yards in his six years.

"Those rumblings will only get louder if the offense struggles again in 2026," Graziano wrote in his ESPN article. "Some years, the new offense in Philly works great. Other years, it does not. Which will this be? And if it's the latter, what does that mean for Hurts' future with the Eagles?"

The Eagles averaged 311.2 total yards per game last year, a steep decline from 2024, when they ranked No. 8 in total offense (367.2 average total yards).

Graziano believes that though Hurts could take up the "perceived responsibility" of Mannion's offense and work consistently to be a better player, the offense's struggles could eventually decide his stay with the Eagles.

The Athletic believes Sean Mannion's offense will test Jalen Hurts

Brooks Kubena of The Athletic expressed similar concerns as ESPN's Dan Graziano, as he believes that this year could be a defining season for Hurts' status as the franchise QB.

"New OC Sean Mannion’s scheme will call for the most under-center play of Hurts’ career, with a slew of other significant changes to boot," Brooks Kubena wrote in the Eagles section for The Athletic. "Can Hurts get back to elite play? Will he earn that next major deal?"

Though Hurts has three years left in his contract, Kubena believes that the Eagles should have provided more contract security to the three-time Pro Bowler during the offseason.

The Eagles are well-known to move ahead of the contract year and retain the roster before their value rises further.

Now, the 2026 season could prove to be an evaluation period for Hurts' long-term future with the team.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote