Jalen Hurts is a Template for Bears and Justin Fields

The Eagles' star QB is turning heads in Chicago, where the Bears' QB has some of the same skills as Hurts

PHILADELPHIA - Jalen Hurts is part of a new breed of quarterback taking the NFL sometimes kicking and screaming, into a new era.

The dual-threat QB has been around for years but Hurts is unveiling what that looks like when coupled with the upper-echelon decision-making of the traditional elite pocket passer.

“I think it’s about being able to be a threat in many different ways,” Hurts said earlier this season. “That’s something that a guy like me has the ability to do. Naturally being able to run, we’ll call it a dual-threat but I like to call it a triple-threat.”

"You have to be able to kill them with your legs at times, make the throws when you need to in the passing game, and kill them with your mind and with what you see and how you react,” he continued. “…you have to be ready for all of those looks and have an answer for it. That’s a testament to the preparation and the people that I have around me.”

The rebuilding Chicago Bears may have their own stud, at least from a physical standpoint, in second-year quarterback Justin Fields.

Fields set the regular-season record for rushing yards by a QB with 178 yards against Miami on Nov. 6. The 11th pick in the 2021 draft can also sling it, something that will come when the Bears surround the former Ohio State starter with better weapons.

The two quarterbacks are expected to share the field on Sunday when the Eagles visit Chicago (1 p.m./FOX).

Hurts is in the midst of an MVP-level season, as the leader of the 12-1 Eagles. He’s thrown for 3,157 yards and 22 touchdowns with a league-high 108.4 passer rating while adding another 686 yards and 10 more TDs on the ground.

The Nick Sirianni and Shane Steichen offense, which is ranked third in the NFL and No. 1 in points per game, isn’t run first or pass first, it’s Jalen Hurts first.

Blitz the Eagles’ QB1 like Detroit did in Week 1 and he may run right up the backs of the defensive backs. Zone him up and force him to throw from the pocket like Minnesota did seven days later, and Hurts will gash you with one of his weapons, be it A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, or the soon-to-be returning Dallas Goedert.

READ MORE: Dallas Goedert on Brink of Returning, but Backups Did Well in ...

It’s a pick-your-poison situation for opposing defensive coordinators, who have flailed all season against an offense that generates big plays while taking care of the football.

“I think what he's most improved on is just his timing with everything, how he's seeing the field. It all starts with that,” Sirianni said. “I think the biggest improvement he just keeps getting better at is his vision and how he's seeing it, and it's because he works his butt off.

"He's always here. He's always in this building. It doesn't matter what time of day. It doesn't matter if the players are in that day or not. He's always here. Always working on his craft. Always working on getting his body physically ready. Always working on his mind, making sure that's mentally ready.”

The final ingredient is the toughest one to develop and that is Hurts’ self-described “killing them with your mind.”

The Eagles’ QB, who is only in his third season himself, is keeping tabs on Fields.

“I love football," said Hurts on Wednesday. "I love the game. I love seeing the way different players handle different situations and talking about Justin Fields, he's always been a player I've had a lot of respect for.

“At Georgia, at Ohio State, coming into the Bears and doing what he's been able to do in a short time. He's just continuing to climb and he's a definite threat over there so we have to be prepared for him."

A rabid football town comparable to Philadelphia, Chicago doesn’t have much to be excited about right now other than Fields and the faithful knows what the template is for success.

“Here in Chicago, the big mantra is we want Justin Fields to be Jalen Hurts,” Tom Thayer, a former offensive lineman on the legendary 1985 Bears team who is now the color commentator on WBBM Newsradio for the team’s broadcasts. told JAKIB Sports.

“... I’m sold on Justin’s work ethic, his desire to be great, his team leadership, his willingness to stay late after practice or get there early in the morning."

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen