Philadelphia Eagles must move forward with Jalen Hurts leading the way

The Philadelphia Eagles should use the rest of the season to see what they have in rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts

The Philadelphia Eagles finally made the move on Sunday, benching quarterback Carson Wentz and giving rookie Jalen Hurts an opportunity to prove himself. After another uninspiring performance by Wentz, the Eagles turned to Hurts on their second offensive drive of the second half and let him take over quarterback duties for the rest of the game.

Hurts was far from perfect, completing 5-of-12 passes for 109 yards, one touchdown and one interception, but he did inject some much-needed life into their offense for a short time. Hurts showed off his mobility both inside and outside of the pocket, creating more time with his legs to make plays downfield. It did not lead to a ton of points, but they did look better with Jalen Hurts under center than they did with Carson Wentz.

Head coach Doug Peterson could turn right back to Wentz next week against the New Orleans Saints, but that would be a mistake. Jalen Hurts not only gives the Philadelphia Eagles a better chance to win right now, but he also represents some unknown long-term upside at the quarterback position. The Eagles have an opportunity to see what they have in Hurts the next few weeks and they must take advantage of it.

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Wentz may still have a long-term future with this team, but he has been so bad this season that nobody can blame them for at least looking in another direction. Wentz looks completely lost on the field, showing zero pocket awareness, poor decision making and less than ideal accuracy. He has struggled all season long and his future with the Philadelphia Eagles must be in question.

The biggest issue here is Wentz’s contract. He is currently under contract through the 2024 season, with a lot of dead money being left on the books if they look to get rid of him. That being said, there is a potential out in his contract after the 2021 season that could make sense to take advantage of. If they exercise this out, the Eagles would still have a lot of dead Wentz money on the books, but it would be manageable.

However, they can only feel comfortable making this decision if they know what they have in Jalen Hurts. Wentz may get his career back on track, but it is not going to happen with this specific roster. The Eagles have struggled with injuries all season long and Wentz has not been able to adapt. Their inability to protect him coupled with significant pocket awareness issues has led to major issues for Wentz and the Eagles.

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Hurts’ mobility at least gives him a chance to compete without an ideal amount of time. If he steps up and plays well for the rest of the season, the Philadelphia Eagles could move forward with Hurts as their franchise quarterback in 2021 and beyond. If he is not great, they could open up a quarterback battle next season and let Hurts and Wentz figure it out with their play.

Either way, getting Jalen Hurts valuable game experience this year is the correct path to take.

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