One of the leading stories this NFL offseason, as we approach the 2026 NFL Draft and 2026-27 season, has been regarding Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and the alleged frustrations that the organization has with the former second-round pick.
Now, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky has chimed in on the drama.
Dan Orlovsky Addresses Facts and Opinions Surrounding Eagles’ Jalen Hurts
Before we dive into Orlovsky’s comments, let’s back up to understand how we got here.
Earlier this month, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that there has been tension within the Eagles organization toward Hurts, citing his coachability and his pushback against the coaching staff’s attempts to implement new schemes, motions, shifts, and the like.
Then, a few days later on “The Craig Carton Show,” Carton’s co-host Tyrone Johnson said he reached out to a former Eagles player to learn more about the situation, specifically whether head coach Nick Sirianni was at the center of this.
According to Johnson, that player blamed Sirianni and said that Hurts didn’t enjoy playing for Sirianni’s “best friend literally in life,” former Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.
Last season, under Patullo, Hurts finished with a PFSN QB Impact score of 78.3, which ranked 15th in the NFL, behind Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix and just ahead of Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence.
Now, on ESPN’s “Get Up,” host Mike Greenberg asked Orlovsky, a fifth-round pick by the Detroit Lions in the 2005 NFL Draft, whether the criticism of Hurts was fair.
“No,” Orlosvky started. “But that’s life as the starting quarterback in the NFL, let alone in Philly.” Orlovsky went on to say that “Hurts has become one of the most polarizing players in all of the NFL.” He also said that facts and opinions around the Eagles star “don’t match.”
“The facts and the opinions don’t match.”@danorlovsky7 and @damienwoody chime in on the “polarizing” Jalen Hurts ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/tOr6ezgtkh
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 6, 2026
From there, a graphic appeared on screen showing Hurts’ stats since 2021, including the playoffs, with 62 wins as a starter, 185 total touchdowns, and 18,811 passing yards. The wins and touchdowns ranked third in the NFL in that span, while the passing yards were eighth.
Orlovsky added that Hurts has been to the Super Bowl twice and was named Super Bowl MVP. At the same time, Orlovsky did say, though, that if you brought all of the quarterbacks out on a field to throw, “you’re not gonna take Jalen in your top 15 because that’s not his style and/or strength.”
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
From there, Orlovsky reiterated why Hurts is so polarizing: Sure, he’s winning and performing, but you’d rather have other quarterbacks than him.
Heading into the 2026-27 season, Hurts will be under a new offensive coordinator: former NFL quarterback Sean Mannion, marking his fourth in as many years, having previously worked with Brian Johnson (2023), Kellen Moore (2024), and most recently, Patullo (2025).
