Jalen Hurts quelled concerns over his shoulder injury with the very first question posed to him during the Super Bowl's media day. The Eagles quarterback claimed with confidence he was prepared to take the field in Super Bowl 57 against the Chiefs.
Hurts' life, and especially the past year, primed him for this moment of amplified scrutiny and glory.
Former Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin opened up Hurts' media availability by asking how his shoulder was feeling. Hurts missed Weeks 16 and 17, both losses for the Eagles, before returning for Week 18 and the playoffs.
“I'm good. We're at the Super Bowl,” Hurts said. “… It don't matter too much at this point. We came here to do something and we're going to finish it off, whatever it takes.”
Jalen Hurts Super Bowl Betting
Hurts has +140 Super Bowl odds to win MVP in terms of NFL betting as of Feb. 11. His over/unders for passing yards is 238.5 and rushing yards is 50.5.
Eagles Super Bowl Injury Update
Hurts will be ready to go and fully available for the Super Bowl. He was not on the team's injury report leading up to the game.
Jalen Hurts' Development
Hurts has improved his passing yards, passing touchdowns, interception rate, and rushing touchdowns every season since he was drafted in 2020.
Hurts was the starter at Alabama before losing that role to Tua Tagovailoa. He then transferred to Oklahoma where he was a Heisman Trophy finalist and, six months later, a second-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.'
Leadership qualities were always there. Eagles cornerback Darius Slay took note of that as soon as Hurts was drafted.
“Guys believed in him,” Slay said, “and when he finally got that starting job as the quarterback, you can see guys just following in his footsteps because a lot of guys will run through a wall for him.”
Who remembers @jalenhurts' 2020 breakout game in Arizona, where he racked up 401 total yards and 4 TDs? ??
??: #SBLVII — Feb. 12 at 6:30pm ET on FOX
??: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/gybkARdRNQ— NFL (@NFL) February 11, 2023
Hurts also had the mobility to make defenders miss in the pocket.
Chiefs defensive lineman Khalen Saunders said those quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson of the Ravens and Josh Allen of the Bills are the most difficult to defend. A secondary can cover receivers perfectly and defensive coordinators can call the exact right play, but they can still gain enough yards to sustain drives on the ground.
Hurts' mental approach in how he could attack defenses substantially improved, however, and that was for multiple reasons.
For starters, he was simply in the league for a bit longer and clearly became more comfortable. This was his second full offseason knowing he was going to be a key contributor and acted accordingly.