There's a photo on Jalen Hurts' phone that most people would want to delete.
It shows him walking off the field at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023, head bowed, shoulders slumped, the weight of a Super Bowl loss etched into every step. The Kansas City Chiefs had just won Super Bowl LVII, 38-35, and despite one of the greatest quarterback performances in championship game history, Hurts was walking away empty-handed.
Most players would have buried that image. Moved on. Found something more pleasant to look at every time they picked up their phone.
Not Jalen Hurts.
"I think there are certain things you hold onto so it can continue to motivate you."
Two years later, that same quarterback stood on the same stage against the same opponent and dominated. Super Bowl LIX. Eagles 40, Chiefs 22. Super Bowl MVP. Redemption complete.
But to truly understand what that moment meant, you have to go back much further than February 2023. You have to understand the unprecedented journey that shaped the man holding the Lombardi Trophy.
The Night That Made Him
January 8, 2018. Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta, Georgia.
Jalen Hurts was the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Year. He had led Alabama to a 26-2 record and back-to-back College Football Playoff championship game appearances. At 19 years old, he was the unquestioned leader of college football's most dominant program.
Then, at halftime of the national championship against Georgia, with Alabama trailing 13-0, everything changed.
Nick Saban made the decision that would alter the trajectory of two NFL careers. Hurts, who had gone 3-of-8 for 21 yards in the first half, was benched. True freshman Tua Tagovailoa would take over.
What happened next is the stuff of legend. Tagovailoa connected with current Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith on a game-winning touchdown pass in overtime, giving Alabama a 26-23 comeback victory. It was one of the most iconic moments in college football history.
And Jalen Hurts watched it from the sideline.
"That day made me who I am."
Lesser competitors would have transferred immediately. Some would have quit football altogether. Hurts did something that revealed everything you need to know about his character: he stayed.
For an entire season, Hurts backed up Tagovailoa at Alabama. He practiced every day, prepared like a starter, and supported his replacement publicly and privately. When called upon in the 2018 SEC Championship, he came off the bench to help Alabama secure another playoff berth.
Nick Saban, who has coached hundreds of elite players, called the relationship between Hurts and Tagovailoa unique: "I never had two players that were really, really good players at the same position who actually supported each other the way those two guys supported each other when they were here."
The Oklahoma Resurgence
When Hurts finally transferred to Oklahoma for his final season of eligibility, the football world expected him to be good. What he delivered was historically dominant.
In his first game as a Sooner, Hurts shattered Oklahoma's single-game yardage record, putting up 508 yards of total offense against Houston. By season's end, he had finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, proving that the benching at Alabama was about scheme fit and circumstance, not talent.
But the doubts persisted. Hurts had the athleticism, the work ethic, and the leadership. What he lacked, critics argued, was the arm talent and processing speed to succeed at the NFL level.
He was drafted 53rd overall in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Not a first-rounder. Not even close. The Eagles were still committed to Carson Wentz as their franchise quarterback. Hurts was supposed to be a project, a backup, maybe a gadget player.
The doubts had followed him from Tuscaloosa to Norman to Philadelphia.
And once again, Jalen Hurts used them as fuel.
The Rise in Philadelphia
By the end of his rookie season, Hurts had replaced Wentz as the starter. By the end of 2021, Wentz was traded to Indianapolis. By 2022, Hurts was leading the Eagles to a 14-3 record and their first Super Bowl appearance since the Nick Foles miracle run.
The transformation was remarkable. Hurts had become not just a dual-threat quarterback, but a genuine MVP candidate. His 2022 season produced 3,701 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions through the air, plus another 760 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
The numbers were impressive. The intangibles were even better.
Teammates raved about his work ethic. Lane Johnson told reporters: "He works his ass off, that's really what it is. Most of the time he was done before I woke up, he worked out early."
GM Howie Roseman called him obsessive: "This guy has done everything possible to put himself into a successful position with his work ethic, with his studying habits, with his leadership."
Reports emerged that Hurts could deadlift 620 pounds. That he studied Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant not for basketball tips, but for their approach to competition. That his agent, Nicole Lynn, compared his mentality to Bryant's famous "Mamba Mentality."
"Every time you go into an offseason, I look at guys like MJ and Kobe and how they diagnose their game. Obviously two different sports, but trying to get better at my strengths and then turning my weaknesses into my strengths."
In April 2023, the Eagles rewarded him with a five-year, $255 million contract extension - at the time, the highest annual salary for any player in NFL history. The deal included $179.3 million guaranteed and a no-trade clause, a first in Eagles history.
Nicole Lynn's negotiation of that contract made her the agent of the largest deal ever completed by a woman in sports history. Hurts had bet on himself his entire life. Now, Philadelphia was betting everything on him.
Super Bowl LVII: Heartbreak in the Desert
February 12, 2023 should have been the coronation.
Hurts entered Super Bowl LVII playing the best football of his life. What he delivered against Kansas City was, statistically, one of the greatest quarterback performances in championship game history.
He completed 27 of 38 passes for 304 yards and a touchdown. He rushed for 70 yards - the most by a quarterback in Super Bowl history - and scored three rushing touchdowns, tying the record set by Terrell Davis. His three touchdowns plus a two-point conversion gave him 20 total points scored, also tying a Super Bowl record.
It wasn't enough.
A costly second-quarter fumble, returned for a touchdown by Nick Bolton, gave Kansas City life when the Eagles were threatening to pull away. In the fourth quarter, with the game on the line, Mahomes led a drive that ended with the go-ahead touchdown. The Chiefs won, 38-35.
In the aftermath, even Mahomes had to acknowledge what Hurts had done: "If there was any doubters left, there shouldn't be now. The way he stepped on this stage and ran, threw the ball, whatever it took for his team to win - that was a special performance. I don't want it to get lost in the loss."
But for Hurts, the loss was all that mattered. He took full accountability for the fumble: "I always hold myself to a very high standard with everything that I do... It did hurt us, it hurt us. You never know what play it will be."
That photo - the one of him walking off the field, defeated - became his phone wallpaper. A daily reminder of unfinished business.
The 2023 Collapse
What happened next was something no one in Philadelphia saw coming.
The Eagles raced to a 10-1 start, looking every bit like Super Bowl favorites. Then the bottom fell out. Philadelphia lost five of their final six regular season games in spectacular fashion, including back-to-back blowout losses to San Francisco (42-19) and Dallas (33-13).
The collapse continued into the playoffs, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers eliminated the Eagles in the wild card round. A team that had been to the Super Bowl the year before couldn't win a single playoff game.
Hurts' numbers regressed across the board. His completion percentage dropped. His yards per attempt fell. The deep ball, once a weapon, became a liability. Most concerning, his decision-making under pressure deteriorated, particularly against the blitz.
But the on-field struggles were only part of the story.
Behind the scenes, reports emerged of friction within the organization. Sources described leadership concerns. One anonymous team source told reporters: "Poor body language, not always bought in, not the most coachable."
The criticism cut deep because it attacked the very thing Hurts prided himself on most: his leadership.
The Leadership Question
There are two versions of Jalen Hurts, according to those around the team. There's the public version - the one who gives measured, almost philosophical answers to every question, the one who speaks in inspirational quotes that have become known as "Jalen-isms."
"People lead because their peers let them lead. And I've just tried to lead by example and gain the respect of my teammates."
"When I talk, I'm talking to myself as well, first and foremost. One thing about leadership is you never want to tell someone else to do something that you're not going to do."
"It takes everyone. No man is an island, you must draw your strength from others."
Then there's the private version. Head coach Nick Sirianni has compared Hurts' demanding leadership style to Michael Jordan. That comparison cuts both ways. Jordan was the greatest winner in basketball history. He was also, by many accounts, incredibly difficult to play with.
Some teammates embrace Hurts' intensity. Britain Covey has called him "the best leader I've ever been around," adding: "Jalen's authenticity is what makes him a great leader. He'll eat lunch with the 'lowest' ranking guys on the team, like myself. He is a great friend and teammate."
Others have reportedly chafed at his approach. In 2024, reports indicated that offensive coordinator Kellen Moore tried to implement new concepts that Hurts was resistant to embrace. The friction between scheme and quarterback comfort zone became a recurring theme.
Hurts himself has always accepted the weight of responsibility: "It all runs through me, it all starts with me. When I say 'we' I mean 'me' because I'm the point guard out there. I'm the one that makes everything go."
That accountability is admirable. But in a star-studded locker room with personalities like A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and others, navigating the balance between demanding excellence and maintaining relationships became increasingly complex.
The Return to Dominance
The 2024 offseason brought wholesale changes. Coordinators were fired. New voices were brought in. The roster was reshaped around Hurts' strengths.
Saquon Barkley arrived to give Hurts the most dynamic running back of his career. The defense, rebuilt under Vic Fangio, became elite. The pressure on Hurts to carry the team diminished as the supporting cast improved.
More importantly, Hurts himself evolved. The man who had been criticized for resistance to change showed a willingness to adapt. The quarterback who had struggled with processing began making faster, better decisions. The leader who had rubbed some teammates the wrong way found a new balance.
By the time the 2024 playoffs arrived, Hurts was playing the best football of his career. And this time, there would be no heartbreak.
Super Bowl LIX: Redemption
February 9, 2025. Caesars Superdome. New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Kansas City Chiefs entered as back-to-back champions, seeking to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. Standing in their way was Jalen Hurts and an Eagles team that had been building toward this moment for two years.
From the opening drive, it was clear this would be different. The Eagles dominated in every phase. By the third quarter, the Chiefs were on the verge of becoming the first Super Bowl team ever held scoreless at that point in the game.
Hurts finished with 221 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air, plus 72 rushing yards - breaking his own Super Bowl record - and another touchdown on the ground. His passer rating was 119.7. His composure was unshakeable.
Final score: Eagles 40, Chiefs 22.
When they handed him the Super Bowl MVP trophy, Hurts was asked what the moment meant.
"I'm that same kid that went to national championship and lost, went back, got benched, had to transfer. I had to go through an unprecedented journey. That kid always kept the main thing the main thing."
Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback who had denied Hurts two years earlier, offered his respect: "I said after the last Super Bowl we played that he'll be back. He was, and he got the better of me today."
With that victory, Hurts became only the fourth quarterback in NFL history to lose his first Super Bowl and later win one. The others on that list? John Elway. Bob Griese. Len Dawson. All Hall of Famers.
The Doubts That Remain
Even now, with a Super Bowl ring and MVP trophy, the doubts haven't completely disappeared.
The 2025 season brought new questions. Hurts completed 294 of 454 passes for 3,224 yards and a career-high 25 passing touchdowns, but his rushing production declined significantly - only 421 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, substantially lower than his previous four seasons.
The playoffs ended in disappointment, dropping Hurts' career postseason record to 6-4. The debates about whether he can consistently carry an offense through the air, rather than relying on his legs and an elite supporting cast, continue.
Some critics point to his completion percentage, which has never topped 67% for a full season. Others question his processing speed and pocket presence. The concerns about his receptiveness to coaching innovation persist.
But here's what those critics consistently miss: Jalen Hurts has never needed universal approval. He has only ever needed fuel.
2026: The Year Without Excuses
As the 2026 season approaches, Hurts finds himself in an unfamiliar position: there are no excuses left.
The roster is loaded. DeVonta Smith remains one of the league's most reliable receivers. First-round pick Makai Lemon adds explosive potential to the passing game. Saquon Barkley is still in his prime. The offensive line, anchored by Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, remains elite. New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion brings a fresh perspective and a Shanahan-influenced scheme tailored to Hurts' strengths.
The defense, still operating under Vic Fangio's principles, has the pieces to be dominant again. The organization has given Hurts everything he needs to succeed.
That's precisely what makes 2026 a prove-it year.
The Super Bowl victory silenced critics temporarily. But last season's playoff exit reopened old wounds. The questions that have followed Hurts his entire career - about his arm talent, his processing, his ability to consistently win from the pocket - haven't gone away. They've simply been waiting.
Entering Year 7, Hurts is no longer a developing talent or a young quarterback learning the position. He's a 27-year-old Super Bowl MVP being paid like a franchise cornerstone. The expectations match the compensation.
Can he replicate the magic of 2024? Can he prove that Super Bowl run wasn't a one-time convergence of elite talent and favorable circumstances? Can he silence the doubts not for a season, but for good?
This is the year we find out.
The Record Book
The numbers, at this point in his career, speak for themselves:
17,891 career passing yards. 110 career passing touchdowns. One Super Bowl championship. One Super Bowl MVP.
55 career rushing touchdowns - third-most by a quarterback in NFL history, trailing only Cam Newton (75) and Josh Allen (65). He leads the entire league with 52 rushing touchdowns since 2021, including 10+ rushing touchdowns in four consecutive seasons - an NFL quarterback record.
He's a two-time Pro Bowler. He's been the centerpiece of one of the most successful stretches in Eagles franchise history. He's proven that the second-round pick, the benched quarterback, the guy whose arm talent was questioned, belongs among the elite.
What Drives Jalen Hurts
Late in the 2024 season, Hurts was asked about his message to critics who still doubted him. His response was pure Jalen:
"Keep it coming."
That's always been the secret. The benching at Alabama didn't break him - it built him. The second-round draft status didn't define him - it motivated him. The Super Bowl loss didn't defeat him - it drove him.
Former NFL player Ryan Clark summed it up best: "We have to start comparing Jalen Hurts' work ethic to some of those maniacal workers that we'll see in the Hall of Fame soon. Guys like Drew Brees, guys like Tom Brady."
Is Hurts perfect? No. Has he silenced every critic? No. Will there be more challenges, more doubts, more moments where his limitations are exposed?
Almost certainly.
But if his career has taught us anything, it's this: betting against Jalen Hurts is a fool's errand. Every time he's been counted out, he's found a way back. Every time the doubts have grown loudest, he's responded with his best football.
The photo on his phone has changed now. Instead of walking off the field in defeat, it shows him holding the Lombardi Trophy.
But knowing Jalen Hurts, he's already found something new to motivate him. Another doubt to silence. Another mountain to climb.
That's the unprecedented journey. And it's far from over.
Sources: Pro Football Reference, ESPN, NFL.com, NBC Sports, Bleacher Report, Philadelphia Eagles, WHYY
