Jeremy Fowler co-authored Wednesday’s report with colleague Tim McManus, which revealed that Jalen Hurts’ personality traits had grown more abrasive since Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LIX win. They also wrote that some within the franchise viewed him as partly responsible for the Eagles’ offense losing its edge.
The Russell Wilson comparison gained traction immediately after the piece dropped. Fowler then appeared on the Dan Patrick Show, where the host asked him directly whether Hurts was tracking toward a similar fate. Fowler confirmed the analogy had already found its way inside the Eagles’ building.
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“They have some struggles with certain coverages, not really true pocket passers. You know, Russell Wilson struggled with that where you had to win with a good running game and a good system around them. Some quarterbacks you can win really because of, and that’s a short list. And then some you need to win with by supporting them. Last year, when the Eagles didn’t have enough support around Jalen Hurts, that’s where you saw the offense struggling, because it was all on him,” said Fowler.
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Philadelphia under first-time play-caller Kevin Patullo, the Eagles averaged 22.3 points and 311.2 yards per game a steep drop from 27.2 points and 367.2 yards under Kellen Moore the previous season. Patullo has since been replaced by Sean Mannion.
Jalen Hurts contract doesn’t translate to lifetime employment
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio questioned why the ESPN report surfaced when it did.
The story was published after most attendees had already departed the NFL’s league meetings in Arizona. Florio found that timing was deliberate. He argued Philadelphia was using the media to send Jalen Hurts a direct warning before OTAs, noting that the dead-money hit on his contract drops to $67 million after this season, a number the Eagles could manage if they chose to move on in 2027.
Russell Wilson‘s post-Seattle collapse makes the comparison sting. But Jalen Hurts turns 28 in August, five full years younger than Russell Wilson was when Seattle dealt him away. The 2026 season, with Mannion calling plays, will go a long way toward settling this debate.
Edited by Aman Kashyap
