The 2022 NFL draft took place last weekend, and while there were plenty of news-making picks, the biggest impact move was the trade that sent A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles made him the latest big-name pass-catcher to move franchises and sign a massive contract. It gave the Eagles offense a major boost and Jalen Hurts a weapon to take that next step in his career.
The Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly set to use the 2022 NFL season as a “one-year audition” to see whether Jalen Hurts can firmly establish himself as their franchise quarterback.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Friday on SportsCenter the Eagles believe Hurts now has the necessary weapons to take a step forward in his development:
“They’re saying that Jalen Hurts is well-positioned to make himself a long-term starter because the Eagles have surrounded him with a good team. Now he’s got A.J. Brown opposite DeVonta Smith. He’s pretty much got everything he needs, and he’s embracing that pressure. This is clearly a one-year audition. The 2023 draft class is very strong at quarterback, so the Eagles have 17 games, or more, to figure out if Hurts is the guy.
Talking to people around the league, they said look, ‘This is a player who has gotten better, who works really hard, who teammates like a lot.’ It’s just with his game, does he get exposed a bit over a full season? Do the Eagles have to hide him or can they open up the playbook and he can do a little bit of everything and see the full field? That’s sort of what they’re waiting to see. They feel like Hurts hasn’t proved that as of yet.”
So far in his career, Hurts has completed a modest 59 percent of his career throws and has tallied just 22 passing touchdowns in 30 appearances. The use of his legs makes him much more of a threat as he had 784 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground in 2021.
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“It’s understood. It’s my opportunity, it’s my team,” he told reporters Wednesday. “It’s my team, so we’re ready to go.”
The addition of Brown alongside DeVonta Smith gives the Eagles one of the NFL’s best one-two punches at receiver. You can add in a rushing attack of Miles Sanders and Boston Scott and Hurts will have little room to not get it done before the Eagles make a decision on him.
Should Philadelphia fall short of expectations, the front office is probably going to find itself in the market for a new quarterback in 2023.
