Eagles' Jalen Hurts Is Role Model for 'Calm & Collected' Young QBs

Former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards is noticing similar traits between his former teammate Jalen Hurts and Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.

When it comes to comparing Justin Fields to Jalen Hurts, there might be no one better suited than linebacker T.J. Edwards.

The Chicago Bears successfully acquired Edwards, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, during free agency this offseason, appointing him as the newest off-ball linebacker in their defense.

While Edwards flourished in Philadelphia with a career-high 159 total tackles last season, his growth as a starter coincided with Hurts' rise as a superstar quarterback. Engaging in practices against Hurts, Edwards personally witnessed the remarkable improvements made by the MVP contender.

And during Chicago's OTAs, Edwards is witnessing a similar evolution in Fields, just as he did with Hurts.

"One thing with Jalen was he was always just kind of calm and collected," Edwards said. "That's why we looked to him so much, just because he was always that calming factor. You do see similarities with Fields. He doesn't seem to get rattled out there in terms of when we're mixing up looks on him and stuff like that."

The Bears are the only franchise in NFL history to have never had a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards or pass for 30 touchdowns in a season. However, with his impressive performance in the 2022 season, which saw him complete 60.4 percent of his passes for 2,242 yards and 17 touchdowns with 11 interceptions, Fields has the potential to become the first quarterback in franchise history to achieve those milestones this upcoming season.

Chicago made a significant move this offseason by acquiring receiver D.J. Moore from the Carolina Panthers in the deal that saw the Bears trade the No. 1 overall pick. Moore has accumulated over 1,000 receiving yards in three of his five professional seasons. This acquisition is expected to contribute significantly to the development of Fields, as the third-year quarterback will enter his second season as the full-time starter.

The Eagles are not scheduled to face the Bears in the regular season this year. However, fans cannot rule out the possibility of a playoff matchup, especially considering that the Bears are widely regarded as a potential breakout team this year.

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