The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has delivered a Super Bowl title and five playoff appearances in six seasons, yet the criticism surrounding him refuses to fade. Frustrated by the constant scrutiny, one former NFL defensive end stepped in to defend the Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

During the June 19 episode of the  Sports Radio 94 WIP Midday Show with Joe Giglio, Former Eagles defensive end and co-host of the show, Hugh Douglas doubled down on his support of Jalen Hurts when the topic of QB’s contribution to the team’s success became a topic of discussion.

“I’m tired of this conversation. I’m so f****** tired of this f****** conversation,” Douglas said, per Sean Keeley of Awful Announcing. “Because I’m tired of this conversation. I really am.”

Douglas believes that the QB’s contributions are undervalued by the team, particularly by those who attribute the success to the team’s strong defense. 

Hurts enters the 2026 season, ready to silence doubters. He has completed 294 of 454 passes attempted, for 3,224 yards, 25 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 2025. 

The QB has completed 64.4% of his passes for 17,891 yards, recording 110 touchdowns and 45 interceptions across 93 games played since 2020.

"The point was basically that he [Hurts] was coming in as an underdog," Douglas said, per X post of SportsRadio 94WIP. "Jalen, all those other guys that went before him. Yeah, were projected starters. Jalen was the underdog, and Jalen produced and surpassed them. So it tracks. I just can't help it if people like Chris and other folks can't catch it. But that's one of the driving forces that motivates most athletes."

Hurts was a second-round pick (No. 53) of the 2020 NFL Draft and was projected to be the QB3 behind Nate Sudfield.

Douglas believes that Hurts' journey from an overlooked second-round pick to a Super Bowl-winning QB has made him a polarizing figure, with some critics not giving him full credit for his achievements.

Hurts remains one of the NFL’s most polarizing quarterbacks because of his elite dual-threat ability and leadership, which has delivered a Super Bowl contrasted with his inconsistent deep-ball accuracy, decision-making against zone coverage, and perceived reluctance to fully adapt the offense.

Reports Helped Fuel Negative Perception Of Hurts

An April report by ESPN's Tim McManus and Jeremy Fowler triggered the negative perception of Hurts and further built into the narrative of him being difficult to work with.

“He has pushed back on changes that would diversify the scheme, sources said, including when it comes to him going under center more," per the ESPN report published on April 1 2026. "[Hurts] has shown a reluctance to let it rip at times, particularly against zone coverage. He diverts from the game plan and changes play calls to what some feel is an excessive degree.”

Hurts was criticized for his conservative plays rather than taking on riskier ones, and reports suggested that his poor locker room attitude was affecting his teammates as well.

The report added fuel to an ongoing debate regarding his position with the Eagles, but Douglas remains firm in his support that the three-time Pro Bowler's resume speaks louder than the speculations surrounding him.

What are your thoughts on Hurts? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi