Alex Smith heaps high praise on Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts

On3 imageby:Tim Verghese09/27/21

TimVerghese

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Former Kansas City and Washington quarterback Alex Smith had high praise for Philadelphia Eagles second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts

“I’m a huge Jalen fan,” Smith said on Monday Night Countdown. “I think of all the talk this offseason of all these Alabama quarterbacks, Mac Jones and Tua, I think Jalen is the sleeper. I think at the end of the year, he’s going to have the best year of all these guys. I think he’s in a great situation with Nick Sirianni, Shane Steichen, my guy Brian Johnson in the quarterback room. I think he is ready for this moment. He has dealt with doubters his entire career, I think this is a good position to be in. I think he’s going to take advantage of it.”

Jalen Hurts is in his first full season as the starter after the Eagles traded Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts in the offseason. Hurts was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft and took over as the starter late in the 2020 season when Wentz was benched in December.

Hurts started four games for the Eagles as a rookie and threw for 1,061 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions, completing 52% of his passes. Hurts added 354 rushing yards and three touchdowns, averaging 5.6 yards per attempt.

Through the first two games of the 2021 season, Jalen Hurts has thrown for 454 yards and three touchdowns, with 144 rushing yards and an additional touchdown, leading the Eagles to a 1-1 record.

Jalen Hurts had one of the more prolific college careers in recent memory, starring for both Alabama and Oklahoma. Hurts was the first freshman quarterback to ever start at Alabama under head coach Nick Saban. Hurts threw for 2,780 yards and 23 touchdowns, adding 954 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. As a sophomore, Hurts threw for 2,081 yards and 17 touchdowns, adding 855 yards and eight touchdowns but was benched in the second half of the national championship in favor of Tua Tagovailoa, who rallied the Crimson Tide to the national championship win. His junior year, Hurts sat behind Tagovailoa but still threw for 785 yards, eight touchdowns, adding 167 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Hurts then transferred to Oklahoma, and dominated. Following in the steps of Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, Hurts threw for 3,851 yards and 32 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,298 yards and 20 more touchdowns.

In his collegiate career, Jalen Hurts earned first-team All-Big 12 honors and Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2019, a College Football Playoff National Championship in 2017 and First-team All-SEC, SEC Offensive Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year in 2016.