- Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie wants the team to start Jalen Hurts at quarterback next season
- Hurts was deemed the likely starter following last month’s trade of Carson Wentz
- Eagles (+400) have the third-best odds to win the NFC East
The 2021 NFL offseason is expected to be unprecedented when it comes to quarterback movement. The Philadelphia Eagles are, of course, right in the thick of everything. Just last month, the Eagles traded longtime starting QB Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts in a blockbuster move.
While the Eagles did not confirm that the deal signaled that the team is ready to hand the QB1 job over to Jalen Hurts, the second-year passer does have the inside track to the starting job. While Philadelphia is expected to hold some sort of competition for the job in training camp, ownership is reportedly keen on Hurts being the starter.
According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has told the team to prioritize making Hurts the starter next season instead of holding an open tryout. Hurts is currently the only quarterback on the roster. The team will obviously add talent to the position before camps get underway, but Lurie wants Philadelphia to build around Hurts in order to determine whether he is a potential building block for the future.
Hurts Confident In His Abilities
On a recent podcast appearance with Adam Schefter, Hurts said that he viewed the Wentz trade as a vote of confidence. Hurts said,
“I think it was just an opportunity for me. I think it shows the trust and what they think I can be as a player, so I want to prove them right.”
While it wasn’t easy for the Eagles to trade Wentz thanks to his massive contract, Wentz’ frayed relationship with the organization made the move a necessity this offseason. The Eagles also decided to fire head coach Doug Pederson just a couple of years after he led the franchise to its first-ever Super Bowl title. Pederson was replaced by ex-Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni.
While the Eagles finished in last place in the NFC East, Hurts did play pretty well once given the opportunity. Hurts led Philly to an upset win over the New Orleans Saints in his first NFL start. Across four starts at the end of the campaign, Hurts completed about 52 percent of his passes for 919 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions.
The Eagles are expected to address the position in free agency and the upcoming draft. Hurts added,
“I think, you know, nothing changes for me and my mindset, going in every day trying to get better as a player. Be the best leader I can be. Impact the guys around me, and ultimately it’s just about winning football games and being consistent and doing that, so my mentality, it doesn’t alter not one bit.”
Eagles Could Be Looking WR At No. 6
It’s highly unlikely that the Eagles will use the No. 6 overall pick in next month’s draft on another quarterback. The Eagles may well decide to use a first-rounder on a wide receiver for the second year in a row. Rookie Jalen Reagor struggled to stay healthy last season, but Philly could use the pick in order to draft one of Hurts’ former Alabama teammates. Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith may both be available once the Eagles’ pick comes around early in the first round.
The NFC East was easily the worst division in football last year, so it’s entirely possible that the Eagles will be in the hunt for a divisional crown next year. As of now, Philly has the third-best odds (+400) to win the division. The Cowboys are even-money favorites, while the Washington Football Team are listed at +350. The Giants pull up the rear at +450.
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith has been a staff writer with GamblingSites.org since early 2017. Taylor is primarily a sports writer, though he will occasionally dabble in other things like politics and entertainment betting. His primary specialties are writing about the NBA, Major League Baseball, NFL and domestic and international soccer. Fringe sports like golf and horse racing aren’t exactly his cup of tea, bu …
