Baker Mayfield Reveals 'Special Thing' About Eagles' Jalen Hurts

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield spoke positively about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Two years after quarterback Baker Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy while playing for Oklahoma, Jalen Hurts finished runner-up for the top honor in college football playing in Lincoln Riley's offense for the Sooners. This weekend, the two will meet on the NFL stage, with Mayfield's Tampa Bay Buccaneers set to host Hurts' Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football in a matchup of 2-0 teams. 

For his part, Mayfield continues to be impressed by Hurts, both as a player and an individual. 

"He’s a tremendous leader, I think you guys have seen," Mayfield said. "His play speaks for itself, but his work ethic is extremely important to him and you can see that resonate with the whole team. Every team he’s been on, he’s never changed. That’s the special thing about him.”

Hurts finished second in NFL MVP voting last season, tossing 22 touchdowns and adding another 13 on the ground. He's accounted for four total touchdowns in wins over the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings to open the season, but the Eagles offense has yet to hit its stride. 

After helping to develop Hurts at the NFL level, offensive coordinator Shane Steichen left to become the coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Former quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson was promoted to the offensive coordinator position, and if the first two weeks are any indication, the Eagles will have some growing pains in the early going.

Baker Mayfield and Jalen Hurts will meet on Monday Night Football in Week 3.  / USA TODAY

If anyone knows about how a lack of coaching stability can affect you, it's Mayfield. The former No. 1 overall pick had a tumultuous exit from the Cleveland Browns, with a perpetually unstable organization at least in part to blame. He then split last year with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams, two organizations in transition. 

So far, though, Mayfield has made the best of what's likely going to be his final opportunity to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. In two games with the Buccaneers, the 28-year-old has tossed three touchdowns to zero interceptions, helping what was expected to be one of the worst teams in the sport to defeat the Vikings and Chicago Bears. He's not Tom Brady, but in a very small sample size, Mayfield has looked like a worthy successor in Tampa Bay. 

Both Mayfield and Hurts began their collegiate careers at other programs before transferring to Oklahoma; Texas Tech for Mayfield and Alabama for Hurts. Joining the Sooners proved to be a wise decision for the NFL prospects of both, who will take center stage Monday evening at Raymond James Stadium.