National Football League

Jalen Hurts leaves no doubt about his ascent despite Eagles' defeat

Updated Feb. 13, 2023 2:59 a.m. ET

GLENDALE, Ariz. — "You win or you learn."

That was Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts’ mantra after losing Super Bowl LVII to the Kansas City Chiefs by a 38-35 margin. Hurts might not have as much to learn, however, as you’d expect for a 24-year-old quarterback who just played in his first Super Bowl.

"If there was any doubters left, there shouldn't be now," Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said of Hurts after the game. "The way he stepped up on this stage, ran through the wall, whatever it took for his team to win — I mean, that was a special performance, and I don't want it to get lost in the loss that they had.

"Even when we had all the momentum in that game, and we went up eight points in the fourth quarter, for him to respond and move his team right down the football field and run it in himself with a two-point conversion, it was a special performance by him, man."

Hurts made one glaring mistake in the game, which admittedly gave the Chiefs six points on a scoop and score, but outside of that, Hurts played phenomenally. He didn’t let the sting of that aforementioned turnover linger. He marched his team right back down the field on their next possession.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni put the ball right back in Hurts’ hands when it was time to score, too. He called a designed quarterback run from four yards out to give Hurts his second rushing touchdown on the night.

Hurts completed 27 of 38 pass attempts for 304 yards and a passing touchdown, which was good for a passer rating of 103.4. He connected with seven different receivers, two of which had catches of 45 yards — his passing touchdown to A.J. Brown being one of them. Hurts also added an Super Bowl record 70 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in total. He was Philadelphia’s leading rusher and those 70 rushing yards were the most by a quarterback in the big game, besting Steve McNair’s previous record by six yards.

The moment was far from too big for him, despite the fact this was his first time reaching the NFL mountaintop.

"To me, Jalen played the best game I've seen him play and in the two years we've been together," Sirianni said. "He was outstanding. I really thought he was in complete control. He did things with his legs in the running game. He did things with his with his arm in the pass game, made some unbelievable throws, unbelievable reads. I thought he played outstanding.

"You look at the game and thought it was good for the NFL in the sense that the two best quarterbacks in the NFL played against each other on the biggest stage in the biggest lights and played great."

Jalen Hurts talks about the loss

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts discusses the Super Bowl LVII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

To play your best game on the biggest stage with endorsements from your head coach and opposing quarterback has to mean you know a thing or two. It should also eradicate any doubt that Hurts has the capability to be the future in Philadelphia.

Hurts was a second-round pick out of the Oklahoma in 2020 and is therefore not eligible for a fifth-year option. The Eagles have to decide what to do with him after 2023, and they’d be wise to consider an extension sooner rather than later given the going rate for a franchise quarterback.

Philly held a double-digit lead at the half, up 24-14. All of their scores had come offensively and were engineered by Hurts. Even as Kansas City caught up and eventually surpassed them at the beginning of the fourth quarter, there was no panic in Hurts.

Down 35-27, Hurts led an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended on the last of his three rushing touchdowns. Hurts also ran in the two-point attempt to tie the game with 5:15 left. If it weren’t for a game-swinging defensive holding call, we might still be in overtime, with two of the league’s best quarterbacks continuing to duel

"I thought Jalen played phenomenal," tight end Dallas Goedert said. "He plays with his feet, and he plays with his arms. He did what he did all year."

Going toe-to-toe with the Super Bowl (and league) MVP, ultimately falling a field goal short of a Lombardi Trophy is all Hurts needs on his résumé to secure that future in Philadelphia, especially when he has all the motivation in the world to be on the winning side as soon as next season.

"I think you want to cherish these moments with the people that you've come so far with," Hurts said. "You know, your family, your loved ones, your teammates, your peers, everyone that you do it with and do it for. I will say I'm so proud of this team for everything that we've been able to overcome.

"Obviously, we had a big-time goal in the end that we wanted to accomplish. We came up short. I think the beautiful part about it is everyone experiences different pains, everyone experiences different agonies of life, but you decide if you want to learn from it. You decide if you want to use that to be a teachable moment. I know that I do."

Carmen Vitali covers the NFC North for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.

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