Jalen Hurts talks Eagles OTAs and starting at ground one with a whole new team

Just before the end of Eagles’ OTAs, quarterback Jalen Hurts spent a little time with reporters to talk about the offseason so far, what he learned last season, and how Quez Watkins looks this spring. He emphasized that the 2023 team is a whole new group, so they’re starting over and taking things day-by-day.

Hurts mentioned that once they come back for training camp they’ll start figuring out what this team’s identity is, it’s something they’ll have to develop, but the focus right now is everybody going home, making smart decisions, and coming back ready to work. He also noted that there will be an opportunity to get together with the wide receivers and throw the ball over the next several weeks.

Here’s what the QB had to say:

On OTAs and roster changes

“I think it was really good to get everybody together, meet the new guys, and kind of start from ground one again.”

Hurts talked about how every offseason he restarts his mindset, something he remembers specifically doing at Oklahoma. He noted that nothing done prior will get them to where they need to be now, while acknowledging that there were a ton of experiences that they can and will learn from.

“It’s the truth. Every team has their opportunity to go do something special, and this is a whole entire new team, and that’s something we’re all embracing. It’s something I’ve embraced, and it takes a special type of discipline and work to achieve what you want to achieve. You have to completely reset that, but also allow the things you’ve experienced to fuel you, fuel that fire, and grow.”

The QB later spoke about using the fuel from how last season ended moving forward, and acknowledged that he’ll use everything, but it doesn’t really take much to fuel or motivate him.

Hurts was also asked which of the offseason moves stood out to him, and after a pause, quipped that Jason Kelce coming back was something that stood out.

On what he learned personally from last season

“It’s everything that I’ve always known about myself. It’s just a matter of staying diligent. Stay diligent, embrace everything that comes with it. You know, the road is not always pretty, it’s not always what you think it would be, but embrace the different things that’ll come along that journey. I always say that there is no arrival, there’s only the journey.

And I use so many different things to fuel me, to keep going, and that’s all I ever want to do. That’s all I want to be. Just be the best player I can be. Be the best teammate I can be. And it takes a lot constructive criticism, self-criticism, and also self-awareness of knowing who you are and where you are and how far you’ve come.”

On Quez Watkins

“He’s been doing a really good job. He’s been playing a number of different positions, and he’s been doing a really good job at them. So, Quez is a guy that I came in with, I worked out with him before we both got drafted here, we tore it up on scout team our rookie year, and I have all the trust in him, and he’s hungry. He’s hungry and he’s used everything as fuel and I’m glad he’s taken that approach, and I’m excited to see the show he puts on this year.”

On his relationship with Brian Johnson

“He’s someone that’s always been around in my life. Always been someone that’s been a family friend, and me watching him play growing up, and kind of seeing how the things have kind of shaken out — him being a quarterback coach for two years and now being offensive coordinator — I think it’s going to be good for us, and I think that could definitely be a benefit for us, with the relationship that we have.”

Other notables

• Hurts didn’t say much about his plans for the next several weeks up until training camp, other than he will follow his gut and make sure he comes to work conditioned and prepared so he can get things rolling.
• The QB also didn’t say much about earning his Master’s Degree this spring, saying that it was something he started and wanted to finish, and that, “doesn’t necessarily needs everybody’s involvement.”
• He also said that his plan is to identify his weaknesses and turn them into strengths, and pre-empted a follow-up question by saying that his weaknesses are something “for me to know.” Hurts elaborated, saying he evaluates the season and looks at what he did a high level, and what things didn’t meet his standard.