Just a few months back, Jalen Hurts had Stephen A. Smith in confidence. But with the training camp in full swing, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback found himself in Smith’s critical assessment. 

On the August 6 episode of the ESPN First Take podcast, Smith was asked whether Hurts’ criticism has been fair or foul. He had his answer ready. 

“Believe it or not, the answer to this question is both,” he said on the podcast. “I think that the fair part is that just because you’re a champion doesn’t mean that we get to ignore everything you do subsequently. You still have other seasons to play. We don’t get to live in the past.”

In his six-year-long NFL career, Hurts has only one Super Bowl, LIX, after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs at the 2024 season finale. However, to Smith, the fact that Hurts has won a Super Bowl does not guarantee he will be evaluated only on his championship season. Every new season matters.

For instance, last season he played in 16 games. However, he struggled as a passing quarterback. He racked up 3,224 yards, which ranked fourth from the bottom in total passing yards among quarterbacks with at least 15 starts. His passing yards per game, 201.5, ranked third-lowest, ahead of only Cam Ward and Bryce Young.

“The fact of the matter is you won a Super Bowl championship a couple of years ago,” added Smith. “It wasn’t last year. Last year, we watched 17 games played. We watched you be a shell of what you were at times compared to what we saw, particularly in key moments in the season before. And because of that, when people are critical of what they’re seeing, it’s fair.”

Hurts’ 64.8 completion percentage in 2025 was the lowest since his second season in Philadelphia. Before that, it was a career-high 68.7%. To make matters worse for Hurts, he got snubbed in ESPN’s list of top NFL quarterbacks for 2026. In Jeremy Fowler’s list, based on votes from 70+ voters, Hurts landed in honorable mentions. 

“I know it has been up-and-down, but I’m still betting on the Super Bowl credentials, the intangibles and the toughness,” said an AFC offensive coach.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time that Smith has shared his opinion about Hurts. However, last time he was confident about what the quarterback brought to the table. Back in November last year, tension escalated after the Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers 7-10. While former Eagles player AJ Brown criticized Philadelphia’s gameplay, Smith stood in Hurts’ defense. 

“That’s the Jalen Hurts we’re talking about. So what the h*** is the problem? Why are the Eagles complaining?” he said. 

The 2026 season comes with a big test for Hurts. He has had six offensive coordinators in seven seasons in Philadelphia, with Sean Mannion now taking over. But he still needs to convince critics that he is one of the league’s top signal-callers.