The false narrative: Jalen Hurts is only good because of the talent around him. As if being the tone-setter in a locker room full of alphas and the engine of an elite offense is some kind of accidental achievement. As if he’s just a passenger in this luxury vehicle, called the Eagles offense.
The truth is, and always has been, that great quarterbacks don’t need super teams. They create them.
“Super Teams” of the 70s, 80s, and 90s
Take a look at the Hall of Fame roll calls surrounding some of the legendary Quarterbacks who won atleast three or more Super Bowls during their dominant decade of play.
Terry Bradshaw played with nine Hall of Fame players, plus legendary HC Chuck Noll. The ’70s Steelers teams are practically a Hall of Fame reunion group. Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mike Webster, Mean Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, Mel Blount, and Donnie Shell.
Joe Montana had seven Hall of Fame teammates during his time. Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Charles Haley, Fred Dean, Steve Young, Marcus Allen, and Will Shields. Not to mention Bill Walsh, the coach who wrote the West Coast Offense Bible.
Troy Aikman played with five. Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Larry Allen, Charles Haley, Deion Sanders, and Jimmy Johnson on the headset.
The 2000s
Tom Brady won 7 Super Bowls and is the modern standard of greatness. He played with five Hall of Famers and counting. He won early with Ty Law and Richard Seymour on defense. He lit the world on fire with Randy Moss in 2007, surprisingly lost the Super Bowl and their shot at a perfect season that year, and won again with Darrelle Revis. Junior Seau was there near the end of his run. And that’s before we even get to the future locks like Rob Gronkowski, Adam Vinatieri, and Bill Belichick.
Even Patrick Mahomes, generational and undeniable as he is, hasn’t done it alone. He’s had the league’s most dangerous tight end in Travis Kelce, a first-ballot lock. He had the fastest player in the NFL, Tyreek Hill. And he plays for Andy Reid. A surefire Hall of Famer who belongs in the same breath as Walsh, Noll, and Johnson. Not to mention their DC, Spags, who will likely find himself in Canton too.
Some of the HOFers these QBs played with mattered greatly, while others were at various stages of their career and didn’t contribute as much on the field. But their leadership and knowledge brought value to the franchise. It also doesn’t matter which side of the ball they played on. One of every QBS’s best friends is a great defense. And this does not even address the All-Pro players, Pro Bowlers, and others. Great teams have great rosters!
Jalen Hurts is simply a different beast
So let’s not pretend that Jalen Hurts having a good roster is some kind of indictment.
What separates the great ones from the rest isn’t the help they’re given. It’s what they do with that help. Do they raise the standard? Do they elevate the team? Do they make Pro Bowlers out of role players? Do they win and lead? Well, Jalen Hurts does all of that.
Hurts doesn’t need a super team. He created one. There are players on the roster who came to Philly because of him. That matters.
The Eagles weren’t contenders when Jalen Hurts became a franchise quarterback. He didn’t walk into a dynasty. He rebuilt a team that was broken. He turned Nick Sirianni’s debut season into a playoff trip. He stood in front of a huddle with future Hall of Famers, and long-time Philadelphia Eagle leaders: Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson, and made them follow his lead. That’s not riding a wave.
So next time someone wants to diminish Jalen Hurts by pointing to the team around him, remember this. Great players bring out greatness in others. They don’t need a super team. They are one of the biggest reasons it becomes one.
As always, thank you for reading!
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Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
