At just 28 years old, Jalen Hurts finds himself fielding questions about a reality he is not quite ready to face: life after football. There’s still a lot of fire left in the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, but he has entertained the thought of life after hanging up his cleats.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“Yeah, I think about growth,” Hurts told GQ, when asked about retirement. “I think about, am I doing something that my dad did? Am I doing and giving back the way he did? Am I serving that way? But I find myself really when that time comes, it’ll be… I really don’t even know what we’re talking about life after football right now.
“I think that no one knows what the future will bring. I don’t know where I’ll be. Who knows how long the journey will go, but I do what I can right now.”
The 28-year-old has already spent six years in the league as Philadelphia’s franchise quarterback. He has played 93 games, thrown for 17,891 yards, and scored 110 passing touchdowns. He’s also got a Super Bowl ring and three Pro Bowl nods. But he doesn’t seem to be ready to call it quits yet. Instead, he’s looking forward to his seventh season.
“I feel like I’m in a good spot,” Hurts said after Day 17 of camp. “Feel like I’m in a good spot. I think it’s about really looking at the experiences. The experiences don’t mean anything until you reflect on them and grow from them and you start to apply them.
“So we’re very widespread in what we’re doing right now, and I think that’s good. And so when we can hone it down and kind of see who we are, establish exactly what the identity is for us, it’ll come together. So still very early.”
However, there was a dark time when retirement scenarios festered in Hurts’ mind. He told Good Morning America during the promotion of his book, ‘Better Than a Touchdown,’ that in college, there was a lot of “adversity” ahead of him. He lost his starting job at Alabama after leading the Tide through an undefeated, National Championship-winning season, and was rarely considered part of the elite quarterbacks of his draft class. The uncertainty in his college career really got to the star quarterback.
“I was counted out, I was doubted and broken down and dissected in all these different ways,” he said. “I just persevered, my passion overcame every ounce of doubt. Overcame every ounce of fear, and I think that’s the number one thing in life.
“You got to have the courage to press forward. And so, without the courage and perseverance and the resilience and the passion, I wouldn’t be here today.”
The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Hurts 53rd overall, and he was initially made the third-string quarterback in his rookie season before being bumped up to QB2. It wasn’t until Week 13 of the 2020 season, when Carson Wentz was benched, that Hurts got to show everyone what he was truly capable of.
In 2022, Hurts made his first trip to the Super Bowl and was also the runner-up MVP that season. Two years later, he established himself as one of the league’s more elite quarterbacks with a Super Bowl victory.
But once he retires, we can expect Hurts to indulge in the Jalen Hurts Foundation and his independent clothing brand. His all-women management team might even take his post-retirement life to new heights in his business efforts. But first, he shall focus on the 2026 season.
The Eagles are hoping to bounce back after a tough 2025 season, especially for Hurts. He played in an offense that rarely showed a spark, with play being bad enough to demand yet another change in offensive coordinator. This year, perhaps with some more zeal, Hurts and Co. should look at a great season ahead.