Jalen Hurts Remains Confident After Playoff Exit
Despite a disappointing end to the playoffs, Jalen Hurts is still full of confidence. During a recent episode of “Hard Knocks,” he told coach Nick Sirianni, “I’ll be back,” shortly after the Eagles’ 23-19 loss at home to the 49ers.
Sirianni echoed Hurts’ sentiment, stating, “There’s no doubt about it.”
This recent defeat has marked the beginning of an uncertain offseason for a franchise that took a step back after its Super Bowl victory in 2025.
Changes seem imminent in Philadelphia, especially with owner Jeffrey Lurie’s emphasis on offense and the firing of offensive coordinator Kevin Pattullo, who faced considerable criticism.
Additionally, AJ Brown’s future with the Eagles is now in doubt, following a lackluster season where he voiced his frustrations about the offensive line and clashed with Sirianni on the sidelines during the playoff game.
There’s a chance Brown might advocate for a more receiver-centric approach, but trade discussions could also shake things up.
Most of the chatter around the Eagles seems to be focused on the Hurts-Sirianni dynamic after a disappointing year for both.
In his first four seasons as a starter, the Eagles consistently ranked in the top tiers for points per game, but this past season they fell to 19th.
Hurts’ contribution on the ground also dropped, yielding his fewest rushing yards and touchdowns to date. In fact, there were two games where he couldn’t complete a pass in the second half.
With Sirianni being an offensive-minded coach, much of the blame for the team’s struggles fell squarely on them.
The playoff game against the 49ers encapsulated the team’s struggles: a San Francisco defense that managed to limit Philadelphia to just six points in the second half.
“As our year progressed, I felt like that was the story,” Sirianni remarked on Sunday. “We always try to solve every issue we can, but at the end, we just didn’t do enough. It starts with me.”
This season was not unfamiliar territory for the Eagles; they also faced playoff defeat the year after losing in the Super Bowl during the 2022 season.
After that Super Bowl loss, the team bounced back to win the title the following year.
Reflecting on the turbulent season, Hurts admitted, “It’s been a challenging year. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, and I embraced it, but ultimately it just wasn’t enough. I didn’t try hard enough. Here I am back at square one.”
