Jalen Hurts and Kyler Murray: Their History, and Zach Ertz's Opinion on Them

Revisting the history between the two quarterbacks who will face each other for a second time on Sunday and what Ertz, who has played with them both, thinks

PHILADELPHIA – Jalen Hurts’ weekly meet the media session was over without a single question about the Eagles' next opponent, the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

So, the Eagles QB talked about them on his own.

“I will say this, too,” he said. “I didn’t get any questions about the Cardinals, for real, this game. This is a really good team we’re about to play. They have a really good defense, disruptive up front. They have speed on the back end. So, let’s not set the precedent for (not asking about the opponent). This a good football team.”

To be fair, Hurts was asked about Kyler Murray and the impact, if any, he had on how he sees the game.

Hurts followed Murray as the QB at the University of Oklahoma and also Baker Mayfield, who preceded Murray.

Hurts and Murray played each other in what was a shootout in Hurts’ second career start in a 2020 season that was well off the rails for Philadelphia. Arizona won that game, 33-26, when the Eagles ran out of steam.

Hurts threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns that day; Murray had 406 yards, which is still his career-high, and three touchdowns.

“Since I was in high school, I always had a lot of respect for Kyler,” said Hurts. “Texas is a really big state, and it’s a football state. That’s what it is. I always remember him doing his thing in the DFW (Dallas Forth Worth) at Allen. He won every game he played in in high school.

“That’s very impressive, and he was able to do great things at OU in his collegiate career, winning the Heisman, off to a great start in his career now, doing great things. So, I have a lot of respect for him.”

One player who has played with both quarterbacks, Zach Ertz, was asked to compare Hurts and Murray when he spoke to Eagles reporters earlier in the week.”

“It’s so hard to compare players because it’s always going to come off that you’re building one person up and tearing one person down, so I won’t do that,” said the tight end, who spent nearly nine years in Philly before being traded last October to Arizona.

“One thing I will say is they’re both super, super competitive and they both really, really want to win. They are two of the most competitive guys I’ve been around. In terms of the passing game, running game, you could make some similarities that they are both really good in space.”

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.