The Eagles haven’t named Jalen Hurts their starter yet, but all signs point to the second-year quarterback starting for them this season.
NBC’s Chris Simms did not rank Hurts in his top-40 quarterbacks. Simms, during a recent interview with 94.1 WIP, expressed concern about Hurts’ throwing motion and said simply he needs to see “a bit more” from Hurts.
Former Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, now with the Colts, ranks 18th.
While helping raise funds for the Eagles Autism Foundation on Wednesday, Eagles center Jason Kelce was asked about Simms’ omission of Hurts from the former NFL quarterback’s annual list. Kelce said he had not seen the list.
But Kelce reiterated what he said last month during the team’s offseason program: He is excited to see what Hurts can do.
“I was drafted in the sixth round, and nobody thought I would last a season in the NFL,” Kelce said, via Chris Franklin of NJ.com. “Analysts are analysts for a reason. They are certainly experts. I do not want to bash any of those guys, but I’m with Jalen every day, and he has all the intangibles. He’s an incredible leader and has a great work ethic. I can’t wait to see what that kid does. I don’t know how to evaluate quarterbacks, but I’m excited to be his teammate.”
Hurts, 22, started only four games as a rookie, and the Eagles went 1-3 in those games. He completed 52 percent of his passes for 1,061 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions. Hurts also ran for 354 yards and three touchdowns and caught a pass for 3 yards.
