Dawn Staley, a six-time WNBA All-Star and the head coach of South Carolina, has been a longtime supporter and friend of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. For her, Hurts is her QB1 and her favorite player on the roster. The legendary coach often texts the one-time Super Bowl champion because she knows how “lonely” it can be at the top. At the same time, she makes sure Hurts does not “get too high with the highs or the lows.”
For Jalen Hurts, however, the offseasons have been tough since the Super Bowl win in the 2024 season. The noise only grew louder with each passing year. Many labeled him limited in his offensive scheme and predicted he might get the Carson Wentz treatment, eventually phased out and replaced by a young quarterback. So when none of that criticism came true, and Philly added another win to its 2026 season, Staley, who was born in North Philadelphia, hit back at everyone, asking them to apologize for doubting Hurts.
“You mess with @JalenHurts you mess with all of us! How bout QB1 on his game-winning drive?! Now apologize 🤣🤣🤣 And @devontasmith WR1 you are unreal!! #IBelieve,” Staley tweeted on X after the Eagles’ 24-20 win over the Tennessee Titans.
The game started slowly for the Eagles, and the first quarter ended with the team trailing 0-7. Until that moment, it had been a grind, with neither side able to pull away. Philadelphia managed to even it out by the end of the third quarter at 17-17. But the defining moment, the one Staley pointed out, came with just nine seconds left on the clock.
Jalen Hurts delivered a pass to wide receiver Darius Cooper, which turned a 17-20 deficit into a 24-20 game-winning drive in the Eagles’ favor.
“They fought, and they clawed, and they scratched and did anything they had to do to get the win,” head coach Nick Sirianni said after the game.
Apart from Hurts and Cooper, wide receiver DeVonta Smith also helped make that game-winning drive possible. The veteran caught three passes on the final drive with 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter. His reliability on that final drive gave Hurts a target he could trust. Overall, Smith caught 10 of 13 targets for 117 yards and one touchdown.
Meanwhile, Hurts finished the game having completed 26 of his 37 passes for 264 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The quarterback posted a QBR of 83.1 but was sacked three times.
“I’m not one to harp on the elements, but it was a challenge for us as a unit collectively,” Hurts said. “And I’m happy with how we weathered through that.”
Even with temperatures around 98 degrees Fahrenheit, the Eagles racked up 341 total yards while holding the Titans to just 291. Overall, this improved Philadelphia’s September record since 2021 to 15-4. That ties the Eagles with the Buffalo Bills for the most wins in the NFL opening month in that span.