Super Bowl Media night is always a crapshoot. The buildup to the Eagles and Chiefs matchup has been no exception. Questions about five-year-old daughters, if the last game of the year is a must-win and plenty of other idiotic comments will be the center of the conversation for the next couple days.
But if you look closely, you might catch some very important nuggets.
For the Philadelphia Eagles, their front office has always been trendsetters. Whether it’s looking to pay a quarterback early, or “money-balling” their way to multiple Super Bowls, the way Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie run the show is as impressive as any other team in football.
That also centers around their quarterback as well. Jokes about being a quarterback factory have long since been forgotten within the organization, and it appears the Eagles have found their guy.
“I don’t think he (Jalen Hurts) has anything to prove [to be the long-term answer at quarterback],” owner Jeffrey Lurie told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio on Monday “He is an MVP-caliber quarterback, an incredible leader of the team on the field, off the field. He’s 24 years old, incredibly mature, and, most importantly, driven to be even better. What we’re seeing today I think is just the beginning for Jalen. This guy will attack every weakness as he has since high school, since college. The future is bright and very exciting for all of us.”
Lurie’s comments on Hurts comes after the quarterback has become the third youngest in NFL history to start a Super Bowl. Jalen Hurts has shrugged off his slow NFL beginnings as a passer to dominate in 2022 the way few quarterbacks in Eagles history have done.
And a hearty extension will be on the way for him as well.
But Jeffrey Lurie can say whatever he wants. He is the owner of the Eagles after all and what he says usually goes. But when it comes to cap management and smart extensions, no one does it better than general manager Howie Roseman.
Howie Roseman rebuilt the Eagles and himself
Just two years removed from being on the hot seat after an abysmal draft record and free agent mark, Roseman has once again risen to NFL prominence. A win in Super Bowl LVII could also have him end up in Canton, Ohio when all things are said and done.
But the mark that makes Roseman special in the Eagles organization isn’t his cap management or shrewd trades, it’s his ability to correct mistakes and mitigate disasters.
“I think adversity is a great tool. I can say that now — not necessarily when you’re in the moment. If you can find a way to use those moments productively, you can continue to get better.” Roseman said to Zach Berman Monday night.
Roseman has certainly faced adversity in his job before. After being shunted aside by Chip Kelly, it took him two years to win the Super Bowl with a roster he constructed. After a 4-11-1 season that called into question his legacy, Howie once again built a championship roster within two seasons.
As the days creep ever closer to Super Bowl LVII, media day is seen as something to get past. And while the players and coaches were clearly dealing with idiotic questioning, the little nuggets from the team’s owner and general manager show just how far this team has really come.
AP Photo/Matt Slocum
