It's only Week 4, but the heat is already on Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts — and this time it's coming from two of the franchise's most beloved Super Bowl champions.
Nick Foles, the hero of the Eagles' first Super Bowl win, took to his podcast this week to break down Hurts' performance in Sunday's 24-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. While Hurts did throw for two touchdowns, he managed just 93 passing yards, and Foles was visibly frustrated by what he saw on tape.
“He was very late on this,” Foles said, dissecting a specific play. “Very late. We're not playing high school football. We can't wait until they're wide open. … But if he gets it on time, he catches that ball right now, look how much grass is in the triangle of defenders. He's going to catch it and he's going to knife upfield, most likely going to be a first down. If not, it's going to be very, very close. But when you wait, watch what happens when he throws it late. He throws it late. He sort of double clutches it, and it's stopped right there.”
Foles, still adored by Eagles fans for his magical 2017 run, tried to keep his criticism measured, but he made it clear that Philadelphia needs better quarterback play if they want to contend.
Chris Long, another key piece of that 2017 championship squad, went even further. On his own platform, Long didn't hold back when discussing Hurts' 2026 campaign, especially with star running back Saquon Barkley banged up.
“At some point, Jalen Hurts has to prove that he hasn't been propped up by an all-world offensive line, two No. 1 wide receivers outside and [star running back Saquon Barkley],” Long said. “I'm sorry. I've tried to be as gentle as I can in these situations after games because I'm perfectly aware of the [expletive] that a quarterback has to deal with. When you win, and you've delivered on the biggest stages, I do think that buys you time. And in Philly, the market is huge. You've got your talk show people. I try not to be one of those people. But I don't think he's as good as people think he is. And that's not a personal attack. I'm just calling it how I see it.”
The criticism comes after a brutal stretch for Hurts. Just six days before the Rams loss, he was outplayed by Case Keenum in a defeat to the Chicago Bears. The Eagles now sit at 1-3, and the pressure is mounting on the franchise quarterback to turn things around.
Hurts hasn't responded publicly to Foles or Long, but he knows the only way to silence the doubters is with his play on the field. The Eagles' next game will be a chance to start answering those questions, though the schedule doesn't get any easier.
Meanwhile, the drama around the team continues to swirl. Eagles fans faced backlash for their behavior after the Rams loss, and head coach Nick Sirianni was caught in a heated exchange with a Bears player the week before. Even the backup quarterback situation is under scrutiny after a rough outing from the No. 2 signal-caller.
For now, all eyes remain on Hurts. Can he prove his critics wrong, or will the doubters — even the ones with Super Bowl rings — be vindicated?
