The 2026 NFL season is a major year for Jalen Hurts. Despite two trips to the Super Bowl and a championship under his belt, the dual-threat quarterback has his fair share of detractors. With criticism aimed at his passing ability, particularly through the middle, he has a lot to prove this season.
Despite trading A.J. Brown, the expectations are going to be high for a rabid fan base like the Philadelphia Eagles. But Michael Vick believes the former Super Bowl MVP can prove all the doubters wrong.
Jalen Hurts Needs to Be the Best Version of Himself
Last season, as Brown complained about the state of the offense throughout the year, the numbers supported his arguments. Ranking at #23 on PFN’s Offense Impact Metrics, the team had the worst 3-and-out percentage in the entire league.
Understandably, a lot of the blame fell on Hurts, who himself ranked at number 16 in PFN’s QB Impact Rankings. The organization, though, believed the problems stemmed from the offensive coordinator position, and instead opted to bring in Sean Mannion.
A quarterback himself during his playing days, Mannion spent the previous two seasons with the Green Bay Packers, first as an offensive assistant and then as the quarterbacks coach. As a result, expectations are high for what he can bring out of Hurts.
But Vick, who earned four Pro Bowl selections and was a harbinger of the dual-threat style of quarterbacking that is so popular today, believes that the Alabama product is already a made man in the NFL.
Making an appearance at training camp, the former first overall pick spoke to The Inquirer about his former team, and more specifically, its quarterback.
PREDICT THE NFL SEASON: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
“Jalen is a Super Bowl champion. That’s all you need to know. When you’re a Super Bowl champion, there’s no disrespect. He’s just got to continue. He’s clearly super comfortable with the offense and understanding it.”
However, Vick wasn’t blind to the state of the offense last season. He made it clear that Hurts has another level that he needs to get to.
“He understands that he’s got to get better. We all know good quarterback play is so hard to get. So when you get one, you’ve got to cherish them. You need to treat them with respect. The Eagles have that in Jalen.”
It remains to be seen if the changes in the wide receiver group and a new offensive coordinator can fix the issues that plagued the Eagles last season. But given their stellar record under Hurts, with five consecutive trips to the postseason, the sky is the limit.
