From benched, doubted and overlooked, to Super Bowl MVP

It’s easy to simply say Jalen Hurts stinks. Not like a smelly person or anything, but bad at football. Which is a bit of a lazy read. In recent years, he hasn’t exactly fit the mold of a traditional QB and could maybe fairly be called a tush-push merchant, but those labels massively overshadow one of the league’s more unique journeys.

In college at Alabama, Hurts was on an early path to becoming one of the best quarterbacks in a storied program… and then got replaced in the 2018 National Championship. Oddly, it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him. While it initially put him in a dark place where he considered quitting football altogether, he learned to be patient and take advantage of the opportunities when they came. It led to a Heisman finalist recognition at the University of Oklahoma.

When he entered the league with the Philadelphia Eagles, people still doubted him. Thought to be stuck as a backup who would hardly ever see the field. He stayed cool and waited for his shot. When he got it, he thrived. Two Super Bowl appearances in three years and won it all on the second go-around, earning Super Bowl MVP. So yeah, when you factor in the journey, it’s a bit uninspired to simply call the dude trash. He’s a champion after all. So let’s look at the phases of Jalen Hurts that made him who he is.