Jalen Hurts Surprisingly Trails Geno Smith in Fans' Pro Bowl Voting

If voting ended today - and it doesn't - the Seahawks QB would get the starting nod in the Pro Bowl based on the fan vote

USA Today

Center Jason Kelce and defensive tackle are the only two Eagles who lead the NFC fan voting at their respective positions in a recent batch of Pro Bowl votes released on Monday.

Jalen Hurts has some catching up to do.

Maybe the quarterback's historic, well-rounded performance opened some eyes across the country and Hurts where will be where he should be – ahead of Seattle’s Geno Smith in fan voting for the Pro Bowl.

If voting ended today, Smith would be the fans' pick to be the starting quarterback in the Pro Bowl for the NFC. Patrick Mahomes is the top vote-getting QB for the AFC.

Voting doesn’t end today, though, and maybe what Hurts did on Sunday night in beating the Green Bay Packers in front of a national audience will help him.

He became the first QB in NFL history to have 150-plus passing yards and 150-plus rushing yards in the same game. He also threw for a touchdown in Philly’s 40-33 win that upped their record to 10-1.

Perhaps he will get a boost from the fan voting.

Granted, the Pro Bowl is a popularity contest, but, still, it’s an honor that follows players around their entire careers.

Maybe Tom Brady’s glowing comments on Hurts during this week’s episode of the SiriusXM podcast ‘Let’s Go! With Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald, and Jim Gray,’ will help secure some votes as well.

“I've never rushed for more than a hundred yards in a season, I don't think.,” said Brady. “I mean, he did it for 150 yards in a game and made it look relatively easy, because I saw some of those highlights. And he just has a great skill set to be able to, you know, you gotta have so much spatial awareness too because when you run those guys are coming at you and they're coming fast.

“And I think when you have his athleticism, but also he knows exactly when to get down, he knows exactly when to get out of bounds. He starts to run, he stops and he throws the ball. So his ability to make plays in the run game is very impressive.”

The GOAT’s words could carry some weight.

And Brady wasn’t done.

“And 157 yards for anybody's incredible,” the Tampa Bay QB went on. “And then to have the ability to pass the football like he does as well. That's why that team is so successful. He's playing at a very, very, very high level and they're a tough team to stop.

“And even if you think you've got him stopped for a lot of the game, like the Colts had him a few weeks ago, it comes down to a drive at the end of the game and he's got a little more energy left in the tank and he makes a game-winning run there at the end for a touchdown.”

Here is the link to listen to the podcast

Smith is having a nice season for the Seattle Seahawks, but he isn’t the quarterback of a 10-1 team.

Seattle is just 6-4, but, hey, the Seahawks have the 12th man, so maybe that’s what has him in front.

As for the passing numbers, here they are:

Hurts: 2,560 yards, 67.3% completion percentage, 17 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 12.0 yards per completion, and a passer rating of 105.6

Smith: 2,802 yards, 72.8 completion percentage, 19 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 10.9 yards per completion, and a passer rating of 107.9.

Where Hurts has Smith beat, aside from having 10 wins to Smith’s 6, is rushing:

Hurts: 127 carries, 587 yards, 8 TDs.

Smith: 50 carries, 240 yards, one TD.

Voting can be done via www.nfl.com/pro-bowl-games/vote

Beginning Thursday, Dec. 1, fans will also be able to vote directly on Twitter for the final two weeks of Pro Bowl Games Vote. 

To cast a Twitter vote, fans should tweet the first and last name of the player, the player’s official Twitter handle, or a hashtag including the player’s first and last name. All three of these methods must include the hashtag #ProBowlVote.

Voting is open through Dec. 15.

Roster selections are determined by the consensus votes of fans, players, and coaches. Each group’s vote counts one-third toward determining the 88 Pro Bowl players. NFL players and coaches will cast their votes on Friday, Dec. 16.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.