Eagles 'Have to Do Something' About QB Jalen Hurts' Decision-Making

Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts took a big step back with pre- and post-snap decision-making last season.

PHILADELPHIA - The film confirms that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was more indecisive last season in what was the first real regression of his football career dating back to his college days at Alabama and Oklahoma.

The numbers are also backing that up. 

In 2022, Hurts was extremely decisive both pre- and post-snap, finishing second in the entire NFL when it came to delivering the football to his first read at 73.5 percent, a stark 10.6 percent increase from his first full season as a starter in 2021 when the number was 65.7 percent, goof for 24th in the NFL.

Fast forward to 2023 and Hurts plummeted to pre-2021 levels at a disappointing 61.1 percent of first reads, back down to 24th in the league. His 16.9 percent regression was the second-worst in the league, ahead of only Seattle’s Geno Smith (27.9 percent).

Jalen Hurts threw to his First Read on just 61.1% of his passes in 2023-24, which is 24th in the NFL.

A 12.4% drop from 2022-23, where he was #2 in the NFL at 73.5%.

(Stats via FantasyPoints Beta) pic.twitter.com/sDg5bhS6v0

— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) February 19, 2024

All numbers are from FantasyPoints Beta via @PHLEaglesNation and understanding there is always going to be a margin of error in statistics like this, the eye test quickly confirms that Hurts was far more indecisive in 2023 as opposing defenses adjusted to the Eagles’ offensive success the year prior.

Why Hurts took a step back is the question the organization will be trying to answer moving forward.

The casualties of Hurts’ step back from MVP runner-up back to solid NFL starter with the need to grow were former offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and young QB coach Alex Tanney.

© Bill Streicher, USA TODAY

“You have to do something,” a former NFL executive explained to SI.com’s Eagles Today when asked about Hurts. “He seemed more tentative this year and you can’t move on from a $250 million player (actually $255M) so where do you look?

“The worst result is if the issues had nothing to do with where you’re assigning blame. Then you’re just losing good coaches and shuffling the deck chairs. The soft-landing spots [for Johnson and Tanney] are an indication the rest of the league isn’t coming to the same answers as Philadelphia, at least initially.”

Johnson was named assistant head coach/passing game coordinator on Dan Quinn’s new staff in Washington. Tanney will be the passing game coordinator under Shane Steichen in Indianapolis.

“I don’t have a good feel on the QB coach because he just came off the field but a lot of people around the league still think Johnson is a future head coach,” the exec said.

As for Hurts, a team source pointed to a disjointed offseason.

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“Jalen is a creature of habit,” the source said. “Everything you hear about his work ethic is true and he got pulled in a million different directions last year. We had the short offseason anyway (because of the Super Bowl). Then you had all the contract stuff and endorsements. I think he understands it’s time to get back to business.”

In theory, new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and his hand-picked QB coach, Doug Nussmeier, will prepare Hurts for everything he sees pre- and post-snap.

“I wouldn’t say defenses were taking away that first read consistently,” the team source said. “A.J. [Brown], Smitty [DeVonta Smith] and Dallas [Goedert] are too talented for that but I think some did a nice job throwing some different looks at us which created some doubt and hesitation.

“There were plays to be made and we left too many of them on the field.”