NFL Analysis
9/5/24
5 min read
Jalen Hurts' Added Responsibility Can Only Help Eagles Offense
The Philadelphia Eagles are putting more on Jalen Hurts for the 2024 season. That added responsibility should be viewed as a positive step toward helping the young quarterback continue to develop into a franchise star.
During a recent interview with 94.1 WIP, Hurts talked about his added responsibilities following the retirement of star center Jason Kelce. He made it clear throughout the interview that he's been eager to take on a more significant role in running the offense.
"We had a great player in Jason Kelce who took on a lot of responsibility, and as a result of that I was told not to worry about a lot of things," Hurts said (h/t ESPN.com). And so my eagerness to learn over the years kind of was halted because of who we had, but now times are different and I'm excited for that journey and this opportunity.
"It's been a role that I've been waiting on. I know we've had a well-respected, Hall of Fame guy who's been doing that, and now we [have] the opportunity to do that. It's something I've been wanting, and I think that's how it's supposed to be."
Hurts will now be responsible for setting protections and identifying added rushers, something that Kelce had been handling as a Hall-of-Fame-caliber center. For Hurts, that should only be seen as a positive for his long-term development going into the 2024 season.
The added responsibility will help Jalen Hurt's Long-term development
Quarterbacks and centers have always needed to be two of the smartest players on offense. Not only are the only two players guaranteed to touch the ball on every play, but they are also responsible for leading the entire offense in understanding their responsibilities and assignments on any given play.
For Hurts, taking on the responsibility of handling pass protections will allow him to have a better understanding of where pressure might be coming from.
The star Eagles quarterback was pressured on 270 dropbacks last season, according to Pro Football Focus. That was the third-most pressures any quarterback in the NFL faced, behind Sam Howell (277 pressures) and Patrick Mahomes (303).
Thanks to his mobility and athleticism, Hurts only posted a 14.4 percent pressure-to-sack ratio on those 270 pressures, the eight-best mark in the league.
By adding the responsibility to choose his own protections and identify rushers, Hurts should have more opportunities to keep cutting down his pressure-to-sack ratio, having a better feel of where he's vulnerable and where his safety outlets are on certain slide protection calls.
That added layer of control of the offense should help Hurts continue to make off-script plays like this one.
This is an absolutely ridiculous throw by Jalen Hurts.
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) September 12, 2023
55 yards. Under pressure. Taking a hit. On the run. On the money. #FlyEaglesFly #Eagles pic.twitter.com/EQ9cZGIrpz
On top of the long-term development for Hurts, it should also help out new starting center Cam Jurgens as he tries to fill the shoes of one of the greatest players in NFL history at his position. A second-round pick back in 2022, Jurgens has only started 11 games in his career, almost exclusively playing right guard.
Jurgens won't have to worry about an extra layer of responsibilities moving to a new position with Hurts calling protections. Instead, he can focus on continuing to be a reliable blocker in pass protection. He gave up just one sack and two QB hits in 2023 on 427 pass-blocking snaps.
The Eagles also added a new starting guard in former first-round pick Mekhi Becton, in free agency. The former New York Jets first-round pick is a massive presence who has primarily played offensive tackle but will be kicked inside between Jurgens and veteran right tackle Lane Johnson. It will be up to Hurts and Jurgens to ensure that he's up to speed on protection responsibilities based on what's being called.
It's impossible to replace a future Hall of Fame center like Kelce. Fortunately, the Eagles have found a way to avoid a significant drop-off in pass protection, thanks to Hurts and Jurgens.
Jason Kelce Responds to Jalen Hurts Critics
Following backlash to Hurts' comments about his added responsibilities, Kelce defended his former quarterback on a recent episode of the New Heights podcast.
"There's a lot of media in Philadelphia that are blowing this into a negative assessment like he's making an excuse or something like that," Kelce explained. "I've shared this exact sentiment with Jalen. I think he's at the stage now in his career that he can take that next step forward and make a lot of these protection calls and things that I did for him early in his career when he was a young player."
Kelce also shared his belief that the extra responsibility for Hurts will help him develop into a better all-around quarterback.
"I think him taking on this as a responsibility is gonna accelerate his game across the board, and I think he's ready for it one, from a knowledge base, two, I think he's ready for it just by being a more experienced player," Kelce said. "He's gonna be more of a leader, he needs to be more of a leader and have more of this responsibility on him. So, I'm excited to see how this goes for him this year."
Eagles fans will get a better feel for how Hurts can handle his added responsibilities on Friday in the team's season opener against the Green Bay Packers in Brazil.
