Eagles' Coach Offers Colorful Defense For His QB

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni vehemently dismissed criticism suggesting quarterback Jalen Hurts was merely "along for the ride" with the NFL's most talented roster to their Super Bowl appearance. Sirianni called the idea "bull@#$," defending his Super Bowl MVP quarterback.

Sirianni argued that football is the ultimate team game and challenged Hurts' detractors, asking them to name any consistently winning team or coach that succeeds without good players around them. He noted that the intense roster talent fueled perceptions that the Eagles should win, leading to dynasty talk about them and assertions that their Super Bowl opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs, were descending.

Despite achieving exceptional success together – Sirianni holds a .706 winning percentage in the Super Bowl era and Hurts has a 52-23 record as starter – both the coach and quarterback are often undervalued. Sirianni pointed out that Hurts is rarely mentioned among top QBs like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or Joe Burrow, while he himself lags behind top-ranked coaches like Andy Reid.

Sirianni emphasized that Hurts' primary quality is his selflessness, doing "whatever he needs to do to win each and every game," whether that means throwing 50 times or handing off 50 times. He admires this trait, noting that while any QB might want high passing stats, Hurts prioritizes team success. Sirianni observed the irony that if Hurts focused on personal statistics instead, the winning would likely decrease, and critics would then question why the Eagles weren't winning as much.