Is Jalen Hurts underrated or overrated?

Heading into the 2022 NFL season, there was a lot of hesitancy around naming Jalen Hurts the Eagles’ next franchise quarterback, but over the subsequent months he did more than most ever imagined and had an MVP-caliber performance in the Super Bowl. None of that was expected heading in the season, and yet, just one year later, Hurts is the highest paid player in franchise history and the new face of the team.

It’s totally warranted. The QB has done everything right, on and off the field. He might not be the most verbose or enthusiastic quarterback the team has ever had, but in videos released by the team, you can see that he is a fierce leader and lets his actions match his words.

So, just a year after he was underestimated, Hurts is now expected to lead the team back to the postseason and get that Super Bowl victory they missed by thiiiiiiis much. But, is that kind of follow-up performance realistic?

With the way that Hurts carries himself, and the way he’s dedicated to improving every day, theoretically he should look better than ever when he comes back for training camp — which is a tall feat given how great he was last season. The QB spoke in the months since about identifying mistakes and areas that he needs to improve — and while he wasn’t willing to disclose that list, he emphasized that he was still working as hard as ever, even after signing a life-changing new contract.

In case you need a reminder, Hurts finished the 2022 NFL regular season 14-1 in the 15 games he played in, had 306 completions for 3701 yards and 22 touchdowns — and just six interceptions —, in addition to his 165 carries for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns. In the postseason, he completed 58 passes for 579 yards and three touchdowns, plus had 35 carries for 143 yards and five TDs. He was named to the Pro Bowl, won the Bert Bell Award, nabbed two votes for MVP, and set a litany of new franchise and league records along the way.

People are still shy to include Hurts in the top-tier of elite NFL quarterbacks — alongside Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow —, even after such a monumental season. It’s ridiculous to watch what Hurts did on the field and think that he’s anything other than a Top 5 QB in the league, but he still needs to prove that he can perform like that consistently, season-over-season. Again, there’s no reason to think that he won’t. He’s built for this. But, the proof will be on the field in 2023.

Do you think Jalen Hurts is still underrated, or is he overrated after one good season? Sound off in the comments!