The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has had to face multiple criticisms after anonymous sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Tim McManus that he is “not the most coachable” player on the Eagles roster. The matter has already reached the executives in the franchise organization, which led general manager Howie Roseman to speak out on it, claiming that the situation was unfair to Jalen Hurts.

“So, you know, from my perspective, from Nick’s perspective, from Jeffrey’s perspective, we are not hiding behind anything,” said Howie Roseman during a press conference, via Jeff Skversky on X. “We will talk to our players directly. And I think that it is unfair to have these articles written. But I understand what sells at this point. Yeah, I think it is unfortunate.”

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said it was an Eagles source who blamed Hurts. But the GM is not having any of it. He is defending the quarterback who led the Eagles to a Super Bowl in 2024. According to Roseman, the executives don’t talk to the players through anyone. There is also direct communication to ensure everything goes smoothly. However, he admitted that this time there was a fault.

“Yeah, I have seen those reports. You know Bob and our PR staff do a great job of showing us what we need to see,” said Roseman. “I would say that we have some faults, one of them is not being direct and honest with our players. And the conversation with our players.”

The Philadelphia Eagles became the subject of discussion a few weeks ago as ESPN revealed increasing unrest among the players, especially those in connection with Jalen Hurts. Sources close to the team said that Hurts was not entirely happy with the changes that were made in order to make his playbook larger in scope, such as introducing more motion or snaps under center. Moreover, he would often call plays for himself at the line, which raised concerns about his coachability.

Despite the numerous victories, there have been problems with the passing game in recent years. In their 2024 Super Bowl journey, the Eagles relied mostly on their defensive and running game since the passing offense ranked low in the league that year. They showed some progress in 2025, although it did not continue because of some changes within the team. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore departed, the linemen suffered some injuries, and running back Saquon Barkley did not play as well as expected.

In Roseman’s response, he managed to strike a delicate balance by defending his team’s quarterback without saying anything that could make the matter worse. The timing of the report, as well as rumors that the leak came from within the organization, suggests that there is more than just a lot of noise coming from the outside. While Roseman’s call for more clarity and better communication might seem like an ordinary remark, it can be seen as an indirect acknowledgment that the message may not have been received properly at some point.

On the other hand, critics cited Hurts for many faults, starting with last season’s offensive sluggishness, leadership issues, and changing strategies. Last season, he reached a career low with 7.1 yards per attempt. His 64.8% pass completion rate was the lowest in four years. In 2025, despite his reputation as a dual-threat quarterback, Hurts recorded his lowest rushing total, gaining 421 yards on 105 attempts.

His performance was a key factor in the Eagles finishing 19th in average points (22.3 PPG) and 24th in average yards per game (311.2 YPG). However, the biggest complaint came when he reportedly called the “Four Verticals” play against the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card Round game. With 40 seconds left on the clock, the Eagles ran the “Four Verticals” in the second-to-last play. A touchdown would have been enough to help them reach the next round.

But Hurts repeating the same play made it easy for the Niners to defend it. It ultimately led the 49ers to go through. Despite the reports, Roseman confirmed that there is no issue within the organization. He clearly confirmed that they communicate with the players if there are any problems.

“So, for us, if we have any issue with any of our players, we talk to them directly,” said Roseman.

The general manager has taken a stance in favor of Jalen Hurts. But he is not the only one to do so. Franchise legend Jason Kelce and American sports analyst Pat McAfee have also stood in favor of the quarterback.

Jalen Hurts has strong supporters despite all the criticism

The criticism against Jalen Hurts surfaced after the NFL Annual League Meeting. It attracted a lot of attention, with many blaming the 2024 Super Bowl MVP for last season’s failure. During the season, even wide receiver A.J. Brown took a dig at him, saying that passes were not reaching him now. Now, amid all the chaos, he has found strong supporters in Jason Kelce and Pat McAfee.

“Jalen Hurts has had a lot of success in this league, and I don’t quite get it..,” wrote former punter Pat McAfee on X. “I don’t love when people use anonymous sources to talk about somebody and their character.”

McAfee heavily criticized the anonymous source for ripping apart Hurts. According to him, Hurts has been nothing but elite for the franchise. The three-time Pro-Bowler has covered 17,891 passing yards and 110 touchdown passes, with a pass completion rate of 64.4%. He displayed his dual-threat abilities by making 779 rushing attempts, covering 3,554 yards, and scoring 63 touchdowns. Even after he displayed such consistency since 2020, everyone is now blaming him for one poor season. That did not sit right with McAfee. In fact, former Eagles center Jason Kelce also feels the same.

He believes Hurts is a talented quarterback. With the Eagles always under media coverage, even the slightest failure can become massive news. The expectations are always high in Philadelphia. Hurts was a little inconsistent last season, having thrown six interceptions, and four of them came in one game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14. But it is not the end. There will be a lot of eyes on him in the upcoming season. A lot will be riding on his performance.