The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off the worst loss of the Jalen Hurts era, as Sunday’s 42-19 home blowout to the San Francisco 49ers was the largest margin of defeat for the team since he arrived in 2020.
Due to their own resilience, the Eagles have built such a cushion for themselves that the loss didn’t knock them from their current place as the NFL’s top team record-wise. Hurts is still at or near the front of the MVP race with arguably the best receiving duo in football to throw to, the Eagles have one of the most dangerous defensive lines in the league, and Philly has proven that it can win tight games against elite competition.
It’d be foolish to let a loss, despite how embarrassing, impact how the Eagles, and Hurts in particular, are viewed.
Just don’t tell that to former NFL quarterback David Carr.
The Houston Texans’ No. 1 overall pick in 2002 took his talents to NFL Network after a 10-year playing career, but might be getting a bit too comfortable in that chair at the roundtable.
Carr’s argument started off on a somewhat realistic footing, given the circumstances. He said that the Eagles should let Hurts sit for a few games down the stretch in order to let him get fully healthy for the playoffs, arguing that Philly earning the No. 1 seed might not make a huge difference. The idea is that Marcus Mariota would take his place and win some games during the Eagles’ soft schedule from Weeks 16-18, where they’ll face the 4-8 New York Giants twice and host the 3-10 Arizona Cardinals.
Hurts has been dealing with a lingering knee injury that’s kept from appearing to be 100 percent. He also left Sunday’s game to be evaluated for a concussion before returning shortly after, so getting him some rest isn’t the worst idea despite how tight the NFC playoff race is becoming.
“If you’re (Eagles coach) Nick Sirianni … You have to have a really serious conversation if you’re Philly and really say, ‘Is it better for us to play Mariota right now while Jalen gets fully healthy?” Carr said.
But the health argument is one thing. Calling Mariota a better quarterback than Hurts is another. And this is where Carr begins to get delirious.
“I’d say (Mariota) is probably better at playing quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles right now (than Hurts),” Carr said. “Right now, he would be more productive.”
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Eagles fans know all too well that Mariota didn’t exactly look the part during the preseason, and was almost certainly out-shined by rookie third-string Tanner McKee during those three exhibition games.
Mariota has tons of valuable experience and has won some big games in his NFL career, but still has more to prove if he wants to be the backup for this team in the long run.
Calling Carr’s argument anything short of idiotic isn’t a shot at Mariota, but more of an insult to Hurts, who has established him as Philly’s franchise quarterback and has a huge contract to prove it. Mariota still has the skills to be an NFL quarterback, but he’s done nothing this season to show Carr that he would have led the Eagles to a 10-2 start like Hurts has.
Hurts, who has made it clear he hardly cares what the media has to say, will look to put this argument to bed when the Eagles take on the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Sunday.
