The Eagles survived multiple 4th down failures, sloppy turnovers and critical injuries to beat the Saints. Also, there may be an issue with the highly paid franchise quarterback. Again.

Yes, again.

Remember when the Eagles gave Carson Wentz a then record 4 year, $128 million extension back in 2019? Though the deal didn’t technically kick in until the 2021 season, Wentz earned that money in the fall of 2019 when he single-handedly carried the Eagles into the playoffs. (He was then speared directly to the head and forced out of that game on the 3rd series. Without Wentz, the Eagles had no shot and their season ended that day.) The following season, Wentz was a mess. Head-scratching turnovers slowed the offense. His completion percentage dropped nearly seven points, his average per attempt dropped, his QBR and QB Rating both dropped more than 20 points, and worst of all; his TD:INT ratio was almost 1:1. He was a disaster. Wentz was gone that offseason. He’s played out that entire four year extension on four different teams. It also didn’t help that the franchise that was supposedly committed to him used a 2nd round pick on a controversial quarterback out of Oklahoma; Jalen Hurts.

Yes, Jalen Hurts was a controversial selection. Not because of character concerns or a checkered past, but rather could he throw the ball well enough to be an NFL quarterback. In his second full year as a starting quarterback, Hurts proved the naysayers wrong. He was an MVP caliber player, leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl and establishing himself as the next generation of dual threat quarterbacks. Two months after a spectacular Super Bowl performance, Hurts was given a then record extension; 5 years, $255 million. His follow up season was a far cry from the one that earned him all that money. Hurts’ passing yards were down 8%, his rushing production was down 29%, his average per attempt dropped nearly a yard, his interceptions more than doubled and his total turnovers more than tripled. His QBR and QB Rating dropped by 7 and 12 points, respectively. The Eagles cratered to a 1-6 finish (postseason included) after a 10-1 start. Hurts’ TD:INT ratio was 6:5 over that stretch and he failed to rally the Eagles offense at any point throughout that devastating run. Questions whether he could read a defense were again rampant.

Prior to the 2024 season, the Eagles brought in a proven Offensive Coordinator in Kellen Moore, hoping Hurts would return to his 2022 form under Shane Steichen. Through three weeks, the proof has not been in the pudding. Hurt’s TD:INT ratio is upside down, he’s again struggling to read defenses, the red zone offense is abysmal; down 18% from 2023 and a whopping 25% from his standout 2022 campaign. Though Hurts’ QBR has held to his 2023 number, his QB Rating has dropped another three points. Needless to say, it’s been a discouraging 13 month stretch for a quarterback many believed would be Philadelphia’s version of Patrick Mahomes.

Why us? Why do the Eagles pay quarterbacks that don’t live up to an extension BEFORE THE EXTENSION EVEN KICKS IN? I have no idea. We can nitpick the dollars but extending players early is a savvy move that smart front offices do, so we can’t blame the Eagles for the business aspect of it. However, maybe some self reflection could help. Teams always love their own players more than anyone else. A set of independent, outside eyes should be consulted before offering the next big quarterback extension. With Wentz, there were definitely some concerns prior to the extension. His 2018 season, though riddled by injury, was a far cry from his MVP caliber 2017 campaign. Even in 2022, Hurts had some iffy moments along the way (the Bears game in December, even the NFC Championship was less than stellar) before a dazzling Super Bowl performance made the Eagles front office (and all of us, really) weak in the knees.

Is there hope for Hurts or are we doomed with a Wentz 2.0 situation? Well, it’s not looking great, but if I had to convince someone he’ll live up to his contract I would say this… His rushing numbers are back up. Hurts is simply a better player when the threat of running is heavily involved in the equation. Also, his top receiver has not played since Week 1. (In fairness to Wentz, he never had a number one receiver, but I digress…) Hurts is also learning a new offense that has shown some signs of tailoring the offense to his strengths, i.e., fewer progressions and more single reads then dump it off or run. Furthermore, unlike Wentz, Hurts is unanimously beloved in the locker room. You can buy friends but only loyalty remains when the sh** hits the fan. Not a single player came out negatively towards Hurts after that disastrous 2023 collapse.

So here we are. Stuck in limbo wondering if our franchise quarterback is actually one. We’ve been here before. It’s an expensive experiment that has unfortunately required more suffering than anticipated. Brighter days may be ahead, or Hurts will be gone before the extension is halfway complete. We’ve been there before, too.