Jalen Hurts – A Deserved MVP Frontrunner?

After the Philadelphia Eagles’ Monday night win over the Kansas City Chiefs, Jalen Hurts now stands alone at the top of the MVP betting odds. 

There is plenty of evidence to support Hurts’ case for Most Valuable Player. The Eagles now stand at 9-1, the best record in the NFL, and it is hard to dispute the Eagles QB’s influence on this success. 

Whilst not a dramatic improvement, this season has seen Hurts push on from his breakout year in 2022. He is currently on pace to surpass his passing yards per game, completion percentage and passing touchdowns from last year. The former Heisman nominee has now asserted himself as a mainstay among a select group of premium NFL quarterbacks.

Whilst he has enjoyed an improvement across many of his passing statistics, Hurts’ has has also been at his best on the ground. Monday night versus the Chiefs saw him score his 13th rushing touchdown of the season, and the 34th of his career, the most by an NFL quarterback in that span to start their career. This growing collection of touchdowns partnered with 345 rushing yards this season underline him as a true dual threat player.

The success of Hurts should certainly place him within the conversations of Most Valuable Player, yet, there are also an array of arguments which question his current status as the clear frontrunner. 

This week on X, a post comparing Hurts’ statistics with apparent Green Bay Packers underperformer Jordan Love highlighted a lack of significant disparity between the pair. 

Whilst this comparison is somewhat melodramatic, it does raise the point regarding the lack of statistical success Hurts has had when compared to other potential MVP’s such as Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes.

After Week 11, Mahomes has thrown 19 touchdowns, 5 more than Hurts and has a better QBR. Meanwhile, Jackson has thrown 4 less interceptions and has nearly 200 more rushing yards (535). 

Importantly, Hurt’s two rivals have both reached these numbers with a significantly lesser supporting cast. Mahomes does have Kelce, yet lacks a true number one receiver and, whilst Jackson has received help from an impressive Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers and resurgent Odell Beckham, the Ravens offence is still fresh and not without its flaws.

Hurts should not be punished for the strength of his offence, yet it should be acknowledged. 

Is it fair to suggest an array of Quarterbacks may be able to enjoy similar success with the help of the likes of AJ Brown, D’Andre Swift and one of the best offensive lines in football?

The goaline ‘tush-push’ represents the personification of these notions, a play where the whole team literally pushes Hurts into the endzone towards a score and more individual statistics. 

Hurts’ success should not be understated, yet when analysing who provides most value to a team, it is difficult to put him over the likes of Mahomes or Jackson.

However, as we know all too well by now, the NFL MVP is so often a wins driven accolade, and if Hurts is to guide the Eagles to the best record in the league, it is difficult to imagine him not winning the award.