Eagles' Jalen Hurts 'Most Insecure Athlete!' Rip Job or 'Michael Jordan' Compliment?

“Jalen Hurts is ... probably the most insecure athlete in Philadelphia,'' says Marcus Hayes ... but the "hot take'' on the Eagles quarterback requires added context. ...

Is it shocking to hear an accredited media member label Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts the “most insecure athlete in Philly''? Indeed it is.

Is there added context needed to go alongside the take from The Inquirer’s Marcus Hayes, issued on JAKIB Sports featuring EaglesToday.com's own John McMullen? Indeed there is.

Eagles fans are upset by Hayes' "outrageous'' statement, and parsed into a packaged five-word hot take - which, to be fair, is a Hayes talent - they have the right to be. Hey, how can any discussion about "insecure quarterbacks in Philadelphia'' focus on anybody but Carson Wentz?! 

“He’s probably the most insecure athlete in Philadelphia, who uses the insecurity to his advantage. I think he knows what his physical limitations are and always has been, and that’s one reason he works so hard to optimize every bit of ability he has.”

- @inkstainedretch on… pic.twitter.com/GGtGMWpS03

— JAKIB Sports (@JAKIBSports) June 23, 2023

But what the journalistic aggregation of the visit (see above) is missing is Hayes' fully flushed-out review of Hurts and what makes him tick ... complete with a flattering comparison to the legendary Michael Jordan.

“My observation with Jalen Hurts is he’s probably the most insecure athlete in Philadelphia,'' said Hayes, quickly adding, that Hurts "uses the insecurity to his advantage. I think he knows what his physical limitations are and always has been, and that’s one reason he works so hard to optimize every bit of ability he has.'' ...

And then, Dear Reader must listen/read for a few more seconds to get the positive punchline here. Said Hayes: “You hear this all the time: 'I’ve never seen a guy who works as hard as Player X.' Jalen Hurts works as hard as Michael Jordan. He really does.”

Worth noting: Hurts would surely love that comparison as he has frequently mentioned the all-time great NBA star as a personal hero. ... as coach Nick Sirianni likely knew when he said, “To have him out there is like having - I shouldn’t even go there - but is like having Michael Jordan out there. He's your leader. He's your guy. That's the biggest respect I can pay to him: comparing his ability to be on the field to a Michael Jordan type.''

We can argue about Hurts' "insecurity'' vs. his "confidence.'' Is there a way for an athlete to be driven by both? How do we really know what fuels this great athlete or any other? Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has put into words the reason he was selected so high, in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

"He’s a winner, and he’s a leader,'' Roseman said.

And if he's also "a Michael Jordan'' in terms of work ethic? Then whether it's "insecurity'' or "confidence'' or a mixture of both ... the Eagles employ a champion a quarterback.

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