In April, Jalen Hurts was the subject of an ESPN article by Tim McManus and Jeremy Fowler detailing issues with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025.
ESPN called the 2026 season a “crossroads” for the 27-year-old quarterback and winner of the Super Bowl MVP in 2024. Hurts was criticized for the way he wanted the offense to run, causing some dysfunction in the locker room.
The Eagles fired Kevin Patullo after his lone season as the offensive coordinator. New Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion will be tasked with getting Hurts and the offense on the same page.
On Thursday, Mannion provided an update on Hurts’ progress during OTAs. He said Hurts has been willing to do everything the coaching staff has asked of him.
“Jalen’s been awesome,” Mannion said, via NFL Media. “I really think he can do anything we ask of him. He’s accurate. He’s a great athlete. He really attacks the fundamentals. That’s what’s been really fun to watch these last two weeks of Phase 2.
” He’s always coming wanting more things to work on, wanting more things regarding fundamentals, timing, understanding the scheme. He’s hungry for more. Those are the guys that are always fun to work with.”
Mannion praised Hurts for having a strong and accurate arm. He noted Hurts has been active in team meetings. He wants to get better at the fundamentals.
Mannion has an idea for how he wants to operate the offense. However, he said the Eagles would need to “blend” the scheme to tailor the offense to the skillset of his players.
“It’s about maximizing things for the players,” Mannion said. “How do we make the Eagles the best team we can be, and how to make the Eagles offense the best it can be, and how do we put all of our players in a position to really succeed and maximize their strengths.”
Hurts is taking the right step by showing up for voluntary OTAs. His presence will allow Mannion and the offense to get in sync well before the start of mandatory minicamp.
Hurts has proven that he can lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl. While his play dipped in 2025, a change in direction at offensive coordinator could turn around Hurts’ career for the better.