The relationship between the offensive play-caller and starting quarterback is the backbone of any great football franchise. Those two leaders of men must share a brain and finish each other’s sentences, synchronized in perfect harmony like ballet dancers.
Look no further than Doug Pederson and Nick Foles in Super Bowl LII: “You want Philly Philly? Let’s do it.” Pederson was the head coach, but he called the plays on that team. Fast forward to 2023. The Eagles’ lead play-caller is new offensive coordinator Brian Johnson who brings an invaluable new element to the job.
He has known Jalen Hurts for two decades, watching him mature from a carefree kid running around a Houston field house to a legitimate MVP candidate. The Johnson-Hurts connection might be the biggest storyline to watch in 2023 after Johnson was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. That relationship is going to be vital.
“I think the relationship that Jalen and I have won’t change in terms of how we get ready to approach the game,” Johnson told reporters. “Our relationship off the field won’t change. Me being in this position now will just allow us to even go deeper in our relationship and have that camaraderie in terms of ‘what do you like, this is how we’re going to attack’ and just being able to have those conversations to be ready to make adjustments as we need to.”
No Ceiling for Jalen Hurts: ‘He Works Like a Madman’
The idea of writing a check for $255 million to a 24-year-old kid sounds scary, right? Young athletes have a way of squandering their talent, and draining their bank accounts, when they get handed the keys to the kingdom too soon. There was a whole documentary series about the perils of going broke. But Eagles QB, Jalen Hurts, is a different animal, a rare breed as he likes to say — and no one is concerned about his desire to climb the ladder. No one will ever put a ceiling on what he can accomplish.
“I think with Jalen, nothing that he ever does will surprise me. He works like a madman,” Johnson said. “He’s very, very diligent. He’s very intentional about what he wants, and that shows on a daily basis in how he operates.”
Head coach Nick Sirianni added: “I don’t know what his ceiling is because he just keeps getting better, and he’s going to continue to do that.”
Eagles QB Dishes on Relationship with Brian Johnson
Johnson broke down a few dynamic plays that Hurts made against the Green Bay Packers in Week 12 last season during a film study session with Fran Duffy. You can tell how in tune the coach and quarterback are just by hearing the inflections in his voice.
As Johnson praises Hurts for a 30-yard touchdown toss to Quez Watkins, he gushes about how the quarterback knows his “landmarks” and how to get the ball up on time: “It’s just a great job of him understanding, taking that three-and-hitch to get the ball up.” Looking at the tape, you can clearly see the defensive back bite when Hurts sticks his foot in the ground, turning his head ever so slightly at the last minute, and focusing his eyes off DeVonta Smith and over to Watkins. The slot receiver ran a great route on the play, too.
Johnson and Hurts are going to have a lot of fun reading and reacting to each other this season.
“He’s always been somebody who’s been a family friend,” Hurts told reporters. “I remember watching him play growing up, and kind of seeing how things have shaken out, him being a quarterback coach for two years, and now being the offensive coordinator, I think it’s going to be good for us. And I think that could definitely be a benefit for us, with the relationship that we have. Obviously, it’s a change [from Shane Steichen], a little bit of a change in how we view things. How he views things as a play-caller. But, in terms of us navigating and being on the same page, I think that’s the number one goal and that’s something I reiterate to him all the time.”
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
