Jalen Hurts has encountered skepticism throughout his football journey. He bounced back from being benched at halftime during the championship game at Alabama and later transferred to Oklahoma, where he reclaimed the starting quarterback position. Despite being overlooked by NFL teams in the first round of the 2020 draft, the Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the second round.
Hurts began his professional career in Philadelphia as a backup. Even after earning the starting quarterback role, doubts lingered about his potential to excel in the NFL. However, he silenced critics on Sunday by being named Super Bowl MVP after leading the Eagles to victory.
In a dominant defensive performance by Philadelphia, Hurts was called upon at crucial moments, showcasing the composure he has displayed throughout his career on the biggest stage in football. He completed the game with 221 passing yards and two touchdown passes, along with a rushing touchdown, contributing to the Eagles’ 40-22 triumph over the Chiefs, which avenged their Super Bowl loss to Kansas City two years prior.
Despite the victory, some critics continued to question whether Hurts was limiting the Eagles’ offensive potential. Aside from an early interception against the Chiefs—his first since Week 10 against the Dallas Cowboys—Hurts performed nearly flawlessly against the Chiefs’ defense.
Reflecting on his journey after the game, Hurts stated, “God is good. He is greater than all the highs and the lows. Personally, I’ve been able to use every experience and learn from it—the good, the bad, all of it—using it as fuel to pursue my own greatness. I couldn’t achieve any of this without the guys around me. We have a special group this year, and we learned from the past.”
Hurts has now become just the fourth quarterback in history to lose his first Super Bowl start and later win one as a starter, joining Hall of Famers John Elway, Bob Griese, and Len Dawson. The Eagles previously secured their first Vince Lombardi Trophy by defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
