Jalen Hurts has spent the past few years proving he belongs among the NFL’s elite. He outdueled Patrick Mahomes in a Super Bowl shootout, turned the ‘Tush Push’ into an unstoppable weapon. And became the guy even Superman trusts with the game on the line. Yes, Superman – or at least, the actor playing him. That happened when David Corenswet, Philly native and star of the new Superman film, was asked who he’d want with one yard to win it all, he didn’t pick Mahomes. He didn’t even pick Superman. He picked Hurts, joking that the Eagles’ QB would out-execute a superhero in the clutch. That’s the kind of respect Hurts has earned – from Hollywood stars who admire him, from fans who cheer him, and from teammates who’ve watched him deliver when everything’s on the line. Yet one group remains unconvinced.

And that group is none other than the NFL’s decision-makers. Now, their latest verdict might catch you off guard. The Eagles QB, who outplayed Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, rewrote the record books with his rushing and became football’s most dangerous short-yardage weapon, just landed at ninth-best in ESPN’s annual insider rankings. While coaches and scouts praised his clutch performances and efficient play, they still placed him behind QBs like Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow.

“Hurts’ status is cemented,” wrote ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “He’s a Super Bowl winner who plays big in big moments. He’s the most potent short-yardage quarterback rusher in NFL history… And he throws a beautiful deep ball. That touchdown pass to Devonta Smith in Super Bowl LIX was a Superdome-sized work of art.” The numbers back it up. Last season, Hurts cut his interceptions from 15 to five, led the league in completion percentage over expected (+6.6). And piled up 14 rushing TDs. His fourth straight year hitting double digits. With Saquon Barkley chewing up defenses beside him, Philly’s offense hummed.

But the doubts linger. “When asked to be a high-volume thrower in 2023, Hurts struggled taking care of the ball,” Fowler noted. Even PFF’s Top 50 list slotted him at No. 50, praising his playoff heroics (91.5 passing grade in the NFC Championship) but pointing to inconsistency: 22 big-time throws mixed with 19 turnover-worthy plays.

Meanwhile, Mahomes topped the ranking. Josh Allen, who’s never reached a Super Bowl, landed at No. 2. It’s the Hurts Paradox: He wins when it matters, dominates in the stats that win games… and still can’t crack the NFL’s inner circle of trust. Maybe 2025 is the year he forces them to see what Eagles’ Superman already does. Anyway, while the doubters keep talking, Eagles HC Nick Sirianni just fired back at Hurts’ critics. 

Jalen Hurts has his coach fighting hard

Philly’s HC Nick Sirianni has officially had enough. When ESPN’s annual QB rankings slotted his Super Bowl-winning QB at ninth, behind passers he’s consistently outdueled, Sirianni didn’t just raise an eyebrow. He dropped the kind of unfiltered truth bomb that’s pure Philadelphia: “Yeah, that’s b——t.”

“I get it, there’s a lot of hours that TV shows and radio stations have to fill,” Sirianni told NBC Sports Philly. “But we’re talking about the ultimate team game… and he does whatever he needs to do to win.” The stats back him up: 18 TDs to just 5 INTs last season, 14 rushing scores (again), and a ring that guys ranked above him still don’t own. But here’s what’s wild: Sirianni isn’t even the loudest voice in Hurts’ corner. Former Steelers lineman Willie Colon turned Good Morning Football into a courtroom this week, with Hurts’ resume as Exhibit A.

“For some reason, we forget one stat and that’s winning,” Colon fired off. “He’s 8-2 against Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Allen—those big boys.” He didn’t stop there. Colon rewound the tape to the Super Bowl, where Hurts became the emergency plan when Saquon Barkley stalled: “They put that whole game on Jalen’s shoulders and his arm, and he delivered.” And Mahomes? “Outplayed him twice, beat him once. But sure, rank him ninth.”

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Acho hit Speak on FS1 with a verbal eye-roll, “Completely asinine.” His argument was simple: Since when do we dock QBs for winning? “It’s very simple—Jalen wins and wins at a high clip,” Acho said, baffled that Hurts trailed Jared Goff, who’s never sniffed a Super Bowl, and Jayden Daniels.

At the end of the day, the numbers don’t lie. Hurts has stacked up elite stats, unforgettable moments, and a 49-27-1 career record. Yet somehow, the conversation keeps circling back to what he’s not rather than celebrating what he is – a winner who shows up when it matters most. Maybe that says less about Hurts and more about how we measure QBs in today’s game.