PHILADELPHIA — There is still work to be done in this magical season for Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
The third-year player was named a Pro Bowl starter, second-team All-Pro finalist and MVP en route to a 16-1 record as the starter for the best team in the NFC, something confirmed by the George Halas Trophy as conference champions following a 31-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
An old soul at 24 defined by his leadership abilities and work ethic, Hurts spent a few minutes alone in the Eagles locker room smoking a victory cigar before speaking to reporters.
It seemed like a moment of reflection, but with the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs still ahead of him and his team in Super Bowl LVII, Hurts stopped short of it.
“I said at the beginning of the week that this is not a time for reflection. It’s really hard for me to do it,” he said after the win. “I’m trying to enjoy the moment, but my joy comes in winning.
“I know the job isn’t done.”
Hurts did open up a bit when it came to his well-documented journey off the bench at Alabama, moving to Oklahoma and building a good enough resume to finish second in the Heisman voting, only to be rated as a second-round pick. No. 53 overall in 2020 by Philadelphia.
Despite the revisionist history in some circles, Hurts was originally projected by the Eagles as a cost-effective backup to injury-prone Carson Wentz who would provide competence and maybe even some juice if needed before being dealt there or four years down the line for a premium in the best case.
When things went off the rails with Wentz, Hurts got an opportunity out of necessity and secured a postseason berth and Pro Bowl alternate status as a starter for the first time in 2021.
While the Eagles were busy trying to convince Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson to at least listen to the organization in the 2022 offseason, and Howie Roseman entered the draft class at QB, flipping one of their additional first-round picks through 2023 .just in case, Hurts worked diligently to improve, first with mechanics Adam Dedo and Tom House and then with his coaching staff.
To be fair to Philadelphia, the organization did the same with Hurts, avoiding opportunities at other young QBs in 2021 and 2022 like Justin Fields and Kenny Pickett.
However, Hurts surprisingly revealed a chip on his shoulder.
“My first year here (people) probably didn’t even want to (pick me) here,” he said, a not-so-tacit admission that he wasn’t taken by at least one obvious player. “It was probably one of those things. But I always manage on my own.”
Pressed on his statement later, Hurts returned to his time with the Crimson Tide when Nick Saban moved on Tua Tagovailoa.
“It was a big surprise to a lot of people,” Hurts said of the Eagles’ decisive move, something this reporter could speak to directly.
I was tipped off that the Eagles would take Hurts at No. 53, and it didn’t make as much sense at the time when there was hesitation without a second source.
I ended up putting the name on social media because the information was solid and sure enough the Eagles had selected Hurts.
“My favorite (Bible) verse, I went through a lot in college and it kind of stuck with me, John 13:7: ‘You may not know now, but later you will,'” Hurts said. “We hope people understand.”
Now it’s hard not to.
“I never knew how far we were going to go,” he said of the Eagles’ run. “I never knew how far we would go, but I never said it couldn’t be done.”
-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com’s Eagles Today and is an NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, along with legendary sports talk host Jody Macdonald, every morning from 8-10am on ‘Birds 365’ live on YouTube. John also hosts his own show, Football 24/7 and is a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JFMcMullen