On June 1, the NFL was hit with back-to-back blockbuster trades. After the Los Angeles Rams acquired Myles Garrett in a legitimately league-altering move, the worst-kept secret in sports became official: A.J. Brown became a member of the New England Patriots.
While the trade has instantly breathed new life into last year’s AFC champions after a tumultuous offseason, the move leaves the Philadelphia Eagles and quarterback Jalen Hurts in a precarious position.
Jalen Hurts Faces Tough Challenge Without A.J. Brown
After winning Super Bowl LIX, the 2025 NFL season did not go according to plan for the Eagles. The team regressed in virtually every facet, eventually leading to an exit in the Wild Card Round.
A lot of the issues boiled down to the offense, which ranked No. 16 in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric. A lot of the blame fell on offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who was let go after the season.
In his place, Sean Mannion is stepping into the OC role, but he presents a different challenge for Hurts. Between Mannion calling the plays and Brown no longer on the roster, Hurts is in for a unique challenge this season. According to former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky, Hurts will essentially need to re-learn how to play the position.
On the “Pat McAfee Show,” Orlovsky explained the difference in the playbook that Hurts will run with Mannion compared to his previous offensive coordinators in Philadelphia.
“Hurts will have to in many ways re-learn how to play QB. You have to learn to play quarterback in a completely different way,” Orlovsky said, adding that this will be a “night and day” difference for Hurts since he will now be under center as opposed to shotgun and forced to read defenses differently.
Hurts will have to—in many ways—-re-learn how to play QB https://t.co/Ukm4ZsqNwD
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) June 2, 2026
“It’s gonna be a very different experience for him. Your feet are everything; you have to play on time in this offense. And your feet tell you when and where to throw the football, and that just takes a while to master,” he explained.
Orlovsky has said that the Eagles are essentially forcing Hurts to change his style of play.
Last season, Hurts ranked No. 15 in PFSN’s QB Impact metric. Last season, Hurts threw for 3,224 yards, 25 touchdowns (a career-high), and 6 interceptions while also rushing for 421 yards and 8 scores on the ground.
It will be interesting to see how Hurts performs under Mannion in the Eagles’ new-look offense.
