Eagles 'Surprise'? Doug Pederson Reveals View on MVP Jalen Hurts

After turning into an MVP candidate last season, the success of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts surprised many. But not coach Doug Pederson.

The Philadelphia Eagles faced some backlash when they decided to take a quarterback in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The guy from Oklahoma is named Jalen Hurts. Many were shocked and confused about why the Eagles spent the No. 53 overall pick on Hurts when they were already committed to Carson Wentz as their franchise signal-caller. 

At the time, not many could or would have predicted that if the Eagles played in the Super Bowl last season, Hurts would've been the quarterback leading them. Yet, that is exactly what happened as the once subject-of-ire Hurts is now a Philly hero.

Hurts is now considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The ex-Alabama and OU product turned into an MVP candidate last season, leading the Eagles to a 14-3 record and taking them to the doorstep of another Lombardi Trophy.

In retrospect, while this may seem surprising to the fans, it isn't to the coach who helped draft him. 

"It's really no surprise to me the success that Jalen's having right now, and just wish him the best moving forward," Doug Pederson said in a recent interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. "The things that impressed me the most are probably the things you see off the football field. ...

"The leadership ability, his work ethic, the way he approaches the game, the way he studies the game, the way he wants to be coached -- he wants to be coached hard. ... He's the right guy for that job and just wish him nothing but great success moving forward."

While the now-Jaguars coach Pederson's time in Philadelphia didn't end ideally as the Eagles finished 2020 with a 4-11-1 record, he will always be remembered for engineering the franchise's first and only Super Bowl win back in 2017, calling the biggest play (the "Philly Special") in the team's history on the biggest stage. 

Like GM Howie Roseman, Pederson also deserves some credit for taking Hurts in the 2020 draft ... as Philly continues to surf off their vision and Hurts' brilliance.

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