Choosing the best quarterbacks in the National Football League is usually a hot debate that produces a wide range of varied opinions. In most cases, however, one name that often gets overlooked is the Super Bowl LIX MVP, Jalen Hurts. Despite putting up impressive numbers and proving himself on the biggest stage, Hurts is mostly deprived of his deserved accolades, a trend Eagles teammate Devonta Smith is keen on ending.
It was quite disheartening when former Eagles cornerback, Darius Slay, brought more chaos to the debate by omitting quarterback Jalen Hurts from his list of the NFL’s elites.
Excluding Hurts from the list, Slay mentioned Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow as the league’s “Big 4” quarterbacks, snubbing Hurts despite his impressive display at Super Bowl LIX, with 300 total yards and three touchdowns to end the hopes of the Chiefs for a three-peat.
Wide receiver and Hurts’ favorite target DeVonta Smith, on the “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast, addressed Slay’s comments and reconstructed whatever theory he was trying to postulate about the”Big 4”.
“Slay said the ‘Big 4,’ but for me, it’s the ‘Big 5’—and Jalen’s in that five,” Smith said. “The four that he named, and then I’m putting Jalen in there. To me, that’s the ‘Big 5.’ I don’t think it’s a ‘Big 4,’ it’s a ‘Big 5,’ honestly.”
With his response, Smith lent his vocal cords to the many Eagles who are becoming increasingly frustrated with Jalen Hurts’ underestimation. And considering what Hurts has proven with the Eagles, he rightly deserves to be among the elites.
When Hurts and Mahomes locked horns on the grandest stage at Super Bowl LIX, it was Hurts’ star that shone brightest, outdueling Mahomes and accounting for 79% of the Eagles’ offense.
“He helped lead us to the Super Bowl, beat Mahomes, and won MVP,” Smith reminisced. “How many active QBs can say that?”
Since 2022, Hurts’ game-winning drives trail only Mahomes and Burrow and he is also joined by Cam Newton as the only quarterbacks to rush for 10+ touchdowns in consecutive seasons.
While Smith had ample statistics to back his claims up in his defense of Mahomes, it’s understandable why Smith has taken matters into his own hands and has decided to defend Hurts all by himself. The pair share a very deep bond that began before their Eagles journey.
“There were two reasons I went to Alabama,” Smith explained on the 7p.m. in Brooklyn Podcast.
“The first was Jalen. I knew if I went there, he would be the quarterback. I think that’s why the relationship was so good. When I got drafted to Philly, I was happy as hell. I got my dog here. It made me comfortable being with someone I had that relationship with and had a connection with.”
“If I ain’t got nothing in this city, I know I got him.”
Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith will be looking to defend the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the coming season as they continue their bromance on and off the pitch. Hopefully, with another outstanding performance next season, Jalen Hurts will finally have his name consensually cemented as one of the league’s best quarterbacks.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
