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The Merrill Reese and Jalen Hurts Mini-Doc Delivers Some Much-Needed Eagles Positivity
By Matt Schultz
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This Eagles season hasn’t been much fun. The injuries, the underperforming, the finger-pointing, all of it has made for a real slog of a year, and we somehow still have 10 more games to go. But I think the general misery surrounding the 2026 Eagles is what makes this mini-doc on Merrill Reese’s career — released on the Eagles’ social accounts on Thursday — feel that much more special. Watching it felt like a break in the storm:
With a runtime of just under ten minutes, the video features Hurts and Reese looking back at the broadcaster’s career, which, as of 2026, has stretched a remarkable 50 years. Jalen plays the role of interviewer, peppering Merrill with questions about how he first landed the job, when he knew that he’d become intertwined with the fabric of Philadelphia, and how he felt while calling some of the biggest moments in Eagles’ history. And Hurts does a great job at it. You can tell that Jalen has a deep respect for Merrill — he tells him “You are a great,” “You’re a pillar for the city,” and praises Merrill for his resiliency and passion throughout his long career. But more than the words Jalen says, I was struck by how genuinely interested and curious he seems about Merrill’s path, and, in turn, about Eagles’ history.
I came away from this video feeling fonder of Jalen Hurts than I have in a long time. Of course, a big part of that could be seeing his Super Bowl highlights that play throughout — which are sick as hell and a far cry from the Joe Milton videos I’ve been trying to hype myself up on all week — and remembering how good we had it not so long ago. But the video also reminded me of Jalen’s best qualities: the guy cares deeply about winning and legacy and greatness, and he has the ability to play like the best quarterback on the planet when the stakes are highest. That’s a good recipe for a QB1. Maybe I should appreciate him more. It’s something to think about.
Also, Merrill’s the man. That goes without saying. It’s hard to believe he’s been calling games for 50 years, but it’s also hard to imagine a time before he was calling the games. Feels more like his voice just came with the team. Like right when the Eagles took the field for the first time on October 15th, 1933, Merrill Reese instantly materialized as a grown adult at the 50-yard line, crouching nude in an electric-looking breeze the way the Terminator always first shows up. Merrill had to go get a suit and a microphone and stuff, but after that he was ready to call every Eagles game for the rest of time:
Congrats on 50 years, Merrill, and thanks to the Eagles for briefly helping me forget about the current season. I vote you guys keep pumping out videos like this. Maybe just broadcast this sort of stuff every week instead of the games. Could be good.
Matt Schultz is a comedy and sports writer from Philadelphia. He’s written extensively for ClickHole, The Onion, and Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. His work has been featured in Vulture, Deadspin, The A.V. Club, Paste Magazine, and other publications. Much of his sports journalism can be found on college basketball websites that don’t exist anymore (PhilaHoops Heads rise up…) email: M.Schultz@sportradar.com