Eagles

Some Thoughts on the Latest Jalen Hurts Noise

By Nick Piccone

Published: Apr 1st, 2026 · 11:29 AM EDT

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ESPN’s Tim McManus and Jeremy Fowler penned the latest edition of, “Whose fault was it in 2025?” today. It discusses Jalen Hurts’ stubbornness, the last offensive play of the season, and the changes the entire offense has undergone since. There are some interesting nuggets, but I can’t say I’m surprised to read most of what they reported from anonymous sources. We knew not everything was harmonious in that locker room, but if you show me a perfect professional sports team locker room, I’ll give you a nickel.

Take for instance this excerpt, in which anonymous sources claimed Hurts would push back against going under center more, and changing plays too often.

He has pushed back on changes that would diversify the scheme, sources said, including when it comes to him going under center more. He has shown a reluctance to let it rip at times, particularly against zone coverage. He diverts from the game plan and changes playcalls to what some feel is an excessive degree. His strong preferences, coupled with the coaches’ efforts to play to his strengths, which include his deep-ball accuracy and throws to the perimeter, limit the breadth to which the offense can expand — or at least that’s the way it has gone in the past.

A lot of that isn’t necessarily concerning. If you were to tell me he was the one changing the plays to a draw on third and long, then I’d have a big issue with it. At the same time, I think we could surmise Kevin Patullo wasn’t exactly Bill Walsh.

His steely resolve can be both a benefit and a hindrance as the face of the franchise. Force fields are good for keeping unnecessary distractions out but bad for connectivity and allowing essential items in. Sirianni has compared Hurts’ leadership to basketball legend Michael Jordan, and his agent, Nicole Lynn, has likened his obsessive work ethic to former Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant. That unrelenting, demanding mentality toward not just himself but his teammates can be met with mixed reactions, especially in a star-studded locker room like Philadelphia’s.

“Poor body language, not always bought in, not the most coachable and the players notice,” a team source said.

The flip side is that Hurts’ steadfastness has helped him and the team through constant turnover at offensive coordinator. The Eagles have failed to give Hurts the level of consistency he has said he “yearns” for, knowing that it can “breed excellence.” The one time he had it was with Shane Steichen in 2021 and ’22, and it resulted in an MVP-caliber season for Hurts and the team going 14-1 in games he started on the way to an appearance in Super Bowl LVII.

Many people are going to ignore that last part, because their minds are already made up. There’s certainly something to be said for remaining even keel during constant turnover. But interpersonal relationships also matter, and if his teammates don’t feel like they’re getting the best of Hurts, then that’s something that should probably be addressed in the locker room instead of through the media.

And honestly, I don’t have a big issue with Hurts pushing for what he feels comfortable with. The issue will be becoming comfortable with something else. And he has a ton of experience in dealing with new voices on an annual basis. Imagine if Hurts is meeting with his new offensive coordinator, they go over plays and schemes in which he is most comfortable and plays his best, and they sort of poo-poo it because it’s the coordinator’s scheme, and not Hurts’. We’re not privy to those conversations. Understandably, Hurts is going to be the face of the struggles being a franchise quarterback and already having a Super Bowl MVP under his belt, but if he’s not feeling heard himself, what does that say about the coaches? It’s usually not just one party to blame when it comes to professional sports.

Though Patullo was well-liked and respected in the building, there was “a lot of noise that he was not doing a great job and some people started to believe it,” according to a team source, who added that there were players who “lost faith in him.”

A source close to Hurts said the QB needs coaches who will “check him,” opining that Hurts had “too many ‘yes’ people around him” this past season.

This is where some of these quotes lose me. If Hurts, who publicly said he likes being coached hard, is pushing back on being coached hard, then why would be still be the franchise quarterback of this team? You’re going to tell me he’s suddenly uncoachable after being coachable his entire career? Hell, his entire life?

It’s obvious there are people offput by Hurts’ demeanor inside the building. I’m willing to bet those are the ones supplying most of these quotes. You don’t think there were a ton of people offput by Tom Brady in the Patriots locker room? Hell, we saw him constantly berate his coaches and teammates on the sideline during games. It made me hate him, but I couldn’t argue with the results.

Kellen Moore, the Eagles’ offensive coordinator in 2024, had tried to implement new offensive concepts that Hurts did not always embrace, per multiple team sources. One of the sources said they believed the changes concerned motions and shifts, recalling that Hurts was not receptive to the idea. A third team source said Hurts was willing to experiment with the new wrinkles in 2024, but if they were not paying off immediately, he was quick to pivot and express his discomfort.

A source close to the QB stresses that Hurts understands motions and shifts help the quarterback and doesn’t dissuade coaches from using them.

Again, another game of he said. You’re going to believe what your opinion lines with.

Perhaps the most damning line of the entire article for me was about AJ Brown.

[AJ] Brown said he knew he had a chance to be prominently featured when facing a man-heavy team. But when defenders forced tight-window throws via zone coverage, “A.J. disappears,” a team source said. Brown’s yards per reception (11.7, down from 14.1) and yards per target (7.3, down from 9.1) dipped substantially when facing zone, and he caught only two of his seven TDs against the coverage.

As the season progressed, it was clear Brown was not giving max effort on the field. Uncharacteristic drops when it was time for him to make a big play, and three huge drops in the Wild Card game against the 49ers stuck out. If anyone was talking about Hurts’ body language, they better have also been talking about Brown’s.

And if we are going to criticize Hurts for being too stubborn, I don’t think the coaches should be left off the hook.

To be sure, a source close to Hurts hints that he prepared during the offseason for a specific Eagles offense — the traditional Eagles attack, reliant on the shotgun formation — only to be asked later to implement more under-center work. Hurts is unafraid to advocate for himself or the offense in those settings, the source added, because players need to get on the same page throughout the offseason. Coaches broached some of the no-huddle concepts during training camp and had to embrace it after the first six weeks of the season, when it became clear the running game was struggling.

The thing is, articles like this paint a picture of absolute turmoil and years ahead of becoming the New York Jets, when all it really is, is a culture built to win Super Bowls. Coaches and players alike need to buy in, and if they don’t, they can go elsewhere. It’s that simple.

I don’t even think it’s a bad article. I like peering inside the curtain, despite what angles these anonymous sources want to take. You can read the rest of the piece here.