Super Bowl 57: The rise of Jalen Hurts

In the run up to Super Bowl 57, Eagles star A.J. Brown was asked whether he examined the Philadelphia’s roster before agreeing to a huge extension in April during the finalising of his trade from the Tennessee Titans.

“No, unfortunately,” he said last week. “All I needed to know was who was going to be my quarterback. That told me everything I needed to know.”

Jalen Hurts was a fairly unproven quarterback at the time of the trade, having gone through a mixed opening season as the starting quarterback in Philly. Yet the confidence that someone like Brown had in his ability, speaks volumes of the talent and character of the player who has now led his team to within a win of the Lombardi Trophy.

We’ve talked about the talent and dominance of Mahomes, but Hurts, on the other hand, has been perceived in a slightly different way. He’s someone who the public certainly wasn’t sold on before 2022, and questions about his potential, driven mainly by subpar accuracy numbers and passing ability, lingered well into last offseason.

There were many doubts against the former second-rounder, but after the season he has had, Philadelphia wouldn’t be in the position they are now without their quarterback.

The remarkable rise of the backup

It has been a rollercoaster of a journey to the Super Bowl for Hurts, which started way before his transition into the NFL. A difficult time in Alabama to a run towards the Heisman Trophy, Hurts eventually achieved success in college after a transfer to Oklahoma.

But his second-round NFL Draft selection in 2020 was overshadowed by the four quarterbacks taken ahead of him in the first round, including Burrow and his replacement in Alabama, Tua Tagovailoa. Like in college, Hurts has faced relenting doubts and criticism, but his development over the past year has been staggering.

There can now be little doubt over his leadership or passing abilities, and should be rewarded with a new contract in the near future, regardless of the outcome on Sunday. Hurts has all the hallmarks to be successful for many years to come.

“I don’t think he has anything to prove (as the quarterback of the future),” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie told ESPN’S Sal Paolantonio at Super Bowl LVII Opening Night. “He is an MVP-calibre quarterback, an incredible leader of the team on the field (and) off the field.

Hurts’ statistics are no joke. 3,701 passing yards for 22 touchdowns in the regular season, on top of 760 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, is an incredible return, with the latter placing him third equal across all runners in the NFL in 2022. At only 24 and just in his second season as an NFL starter, this is just the start.

Hurts, like Mahomes, is creating history. Infact, when they lead their teams out in Arizona, it will be the first Super Bowl to have two black quarterbacks battling it out for the Lombardi Trophy. It will be a must-see spectacle, with two modern days stars battling it out for the most coveted prize in American sport.

For Hurts, the occasion is unlikely to get him given his journey. A Super Bowl win would be one of resilience, marking an extraordinary success story for an extraordinary player.