Last year, Jalen Hurts discussed whether he is the face of the NFL. Now, the debate seems to have returned. However, former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho says calling Hurts “the face of the NFL” doesn’t do Mahomes justice. And it all comes down to one word.
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“Saying Jalen Hurts is the face of the NFL is a slap in the face to Patrick Mahomes. Jalen Hurts is not the face of the NFL, but he is the most polarizing figure in the NFL,” he said on the Speakeasy podcast on August 13. “And there’s a difference. I’ll explain.”
The debate intensified after an Aug. 13 Barstool Sports piece, arguing that “Nobody In The NFL Moves The Needle As Much As Jalen Hurts, Which Makes Him The Face Of The League.” It landed weeks after ESPN’s decision to leave Hurts off its top-10 quarterback rankings and the on-air pushback that followed.
Now, Acho had been one of Hurts’ defenders, including calling the QB-rankings snub “utterly shameful.” So, his Aug. 13 comments weren’t a knock on Hurts. He was simply drawing a line around one specific label.
When people say someone is the face of the NFL, they usually mean the player who performs at the highest level. In that case, Mahomes still leads the race. After all, has won three Super Bowl championships out of his five appearances and is a two-time NFL MVP award winner.
But the driving factor behind the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback’s recognition is that he created strong disagreement within the league. So, the word “polarizing” is what makes all the difference, according to Acho.
“He’s the most polarizing figure because people debate if Jalen Hurts is good and how good Jalen Hurts is,” Acho added. “It’s the debate that makes Jalen Hurts polarizing. It’s the debate that makes people want to understand, ‘Hey, Jalen Hurts, let’s talk about you. Let’s criticize you or let’s praise you.’ It doesn’t make him the face of the NFL.”
In the list compiled by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback was placed in the No.2 spot while Hurts slipped into the honorable mentions list at No.17 overall.
Ryan Clark pushed back on First Take, saying that Hurts “has outplayed” Mahomes in both of their Super Bowl meetings. That head-to-head history is why the comparison exists in the first place.
However, another ESPN analyst, Dan Orlovsky, also ranked the NFL’s top 10 quarterbacks across seven different traits. Mahomes appeared on the list for arm strength, while Hurts did not. The Chiefs quarterback was also included in categories such as second-reaction ability and rushing ability. In the decision-making rankings, Hurts finished behind Mahomes.
Hurts was ranked ahead of Mahomes specifically in the rushing-ability category. Overall, Mahomes received nominations in four categories, compared with two for Hurts.