Jalen Hurts doesn’t have time to be satisfied.
After a breakout season that nearly led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl win and landed him a record-breaking contract, Hurts is working like a “maniac” to get even better.
“Everyone strives to be the best and works to be the best, but ultimately you have to find a separation.” Hurts said on the AP Pro Football Podcast. “And that’s the thrill. It’s exciting not to be satisfied and it’s exciting to be on this journey and I’ve embraced that. I love this game and I know the purpose of this game. I really just want to be intentional. … So every day I try to be the best that I can be, and that’s not based on external factors. These things don’t matter. Just try to control what you can.”
The 24-year-old quarterback, who was drafted second round in 2020, developed into one of the brightest young stars in the league in his second full season as a starter. Hurts threw for 3,701 yards with 22 touchdowns and rushed for 760 yards and 13 points. He was second in the AP NFL MVP pick and third in the Offensive Player of the Year pick.
Hurts was spectacular in the Super Bowl, throwing for 304 yards and a touchdown with a 70-yard rush and three scores. But he also lost a fumble, returned for a touchdown, in a 38-35 loss to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
In April, the Eagles rewarded Hurts with a five-year, $255 million contract extension, the highest in NFL history until Lamar Jackson surpassed it two weeks later.
Hurts also received a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma in a busy offseason that included his acting debut in a short film directed by Teyana Taylor. Last week, Hurts signed a multi-year deal with A Shoc Beverages to market accelerator energy drinks, securing an equity stake in the company.
Despite a hectic schedule over the summer, Hurts made sure to remain focused on improving his game. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and offense coordinator Brian Johnson rave about his work ethic.
“We will never put a cap on what he can achieve,” Johnson said. “I don’t think anything about Jalen that he ever does will surprise me. He works like a madman. He is very, very hardworking. He is very single-minded about what he wants and it shows in the way he works every day.”
The Eagles went 16-2 against the Hurts last year, including 14-1 in the regular season. They lost two games which he missed due to a shoulder injury. Some in Philadelphia fear Hurts won’t be able to maintain his excellence due to injury-prone running style.
He doesn’t reveal whether Hurts plans to stay in the bag longer this season.
“I put a lot of work into it. I’ve invested a lot in this cause and always have, and I just want to keep quantifying my work,” he said when asked about it. “It was something I could do” since I was in college. So that’s always my goal. Find those weaknesses and turn them into your strengths. And then when you have a strength, increase it and make it a touch stronger.”
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