Eagles broadcaster discusses criticisms of Jalen Hurts

Former NFL player and current Philadelphia Eagles radio color commentator Mike Quick sounds fed up with criticisms of quarterback Jalen Hurts this offseason.

"Good grief," Quick said during a recent conversation with Bob Brookover of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "It’s just making a mountain out of a molehill. It’s a shame that that’s where we are. It’s a damn shame. It sounds like a molehill to me, but that conversation has grown and grown and grown and it has lasted now for over a month. Some guys just need more to do. Tell those guys to take a break and go home to their families."

Specifically, Quick was referring to how some accused Hurts of not vocally supporting head coach Nick Sirianni at the end of Philadelphia's mandatory minicamp. Questions about Hurts' supposed leadership style repeatedly popped up after the 2023 Eagles suffered a monumental and much-discussed collapse that seemingly has Sirianni on the hot seat ahead of training camp.

Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson recently mentioned how Hurts has "gone out of his way to connect with his teammates" and "done a good job of bonding with his teammates" coming off Philadelphia's 32-9 wild-card playoff loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quick believes Hurts is impacted by a topic that has hovered over the Eagles since at least this past January.

"I think it would bother anybody, but at the same time, he’s a guy who’s had to battle through a lot of things," Quick said of Hurts. "I think and I hope...that he’s built up enough calluses because of all the things he’s dealt with in his past that he’s able to compartmentalize things and just go to work and go about his business, realizing that these types of things are not going to go away. He’s always going to have to deal with stuff."

Hurts became a finalist for the 2022 Most Valuable Player Award as he guided the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII. Quick thinks the signal-caller has the goods to get back to an elite level this fall.

"He has to understand that this is a league where you’ve got to prove, 'What have you done for me lately,' and if you’re not able to prove it at this time today then yesterday doesn’t matter much to most people," Quick added.

Whispers have suggested neither Sirianni nor Hurts is guaranteed a job with the Eagles beyond the upcoming season. One wonders if Hurts is motivated by such chatter or is ignoring those rumors this summer.