It’s been the debate that has ruminated Eagles fans for quite some time now, who was the better quarterback for the Eagles roster? Jalen Hurts or Carson Wentz? For the past two years now, internet comment sections have flooded with arguments between the two, and now we might just finally have our answer. Jalen Hurts not only is a better quarterback than Carson Wentz, but Jalen Hurts right now is a better quarterback than what Carson Wentz was at his best season in 2017.
Eagles Roster Flashback
It was around this time, five years ago, that the soaring 2017 Philadelphia Eagles had run into a massive brick wall that they were forced to overcome.
Down 28-24 against the red-hot 9-3 Los Angeles Rams late in the third quarter, Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz rolled to his right and dove straight into the end zone for what was supposed to be the go-ahead touchdown, until it was called back for a Lane Johnson holding call. This was the play that would forever change Philadelphia Eagles football, as this was the play that had caused their rising star quarterback to tear his ACL in his left knee.
The rest was history for the Eagles as they would go on to win their first Super Bowl in franchise history, under their beloved backup quarterback Nick Foles. As for Wentz, he finished the season with a franchise record 33 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions, with a completion percentage of just above sixty percent.
Eagles Roster Back to the Future
Fast-forwarding to now, Carson Wentz is no longer the promising star quarterback we all thought he would be, now playing as a backup for the Washington Commanders behind Taylor Heinicke of all people.
As for the Eagles roster, after four seasons of being stuck in-between mediocrity and being outright bad (looking at you 2020 season), the Eagles have once again soared back to the heights that they once reached five years ago, this time under a new rising star quarterback.
When drafted with the 53rd overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, nobody thought Jalen Hurts was meant to be the replacement franchise quarterback for the Eagles roster, let alone the new favorite to win the coveted NFL MVP award.
Originally drafted to be the team’s backup quarterback, Jalen Hurts took full advantage of a terrible 2020 season from Carson Wentz (16 TD passes, 15 interceptions) that led to his benching, and hasn’t looked back since.
After a promising 2021 season, leading the 9-8 Eagles to the playoffs with 26 total touchdowns (16 passing, 10 rushing) and nine interceptions, Jalen Hurts has taken an even bigger step to his development than Carson Wentz ever did.
Through 13 games this season, the new Eagles franchise quarterback has now become one of the league’s most efficient passers in the game with 22 touchdown passes and three interceptions, to go along with a sixty-eight percent completion percentage and a league-best passer rating of 108.4.
To add on, the dual-threat quarterback has been a threat to the run game as well, having 686 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns, just four shy of tying the most by a quarterback in a season.
By the Numbers
Overall, while Hurts more than likely won’t break Wentz’s 2017 franchise record in passing touchdowns, Hurts has already proven to be a far much more efficient player than Wentz by trusting his coaching staff and taking what the offense gives him. That, in turn, has led to less turnover issues and better production from the passing offense while still maintaining the ability to make big plays when they are there.
In addition, let us not forget about the overwhelming advantage that Jalen Hurts has over Carson Wentz, in terms of intangibles.
Which legendary NFL defense would love to resurrect?
1985 Chicago Bears
1976 Pittsburgh Steelers
2000 Baltimore Ravens
2002 Tampa Bay Bucs
1986 New York Giants
2013 Seattle Seahawks
On one corner, you have a quarterback that has been reported to having issues from within the locker room, questioning his leadership abilities, resisting his coaches, and pouting about not being the quarterback to take his Eagles team to the Super Bowl. These were the constant issues that have floated around the media on Carson Wentz for the past few years now.
On the other side, you have a team-first player that sets the standard to how his team should play, never focusing on the “rat-poison” that spreads across the Philadelphia media, and never flinching when any sort of danger hangs about his team during a crucial game. All in all, Jalen Hurts embodies the “Mamba Mentality” that other athletes strive for.
Now let me be clear on one thing, we should absolutely be grateful for what Carson Wentz has brought us to this point. The Eagles would not have won their first Super Bowl in franchise history without the MVP-caliber performance that Wentz had throughout the 2017 season, even if he wasn’t the one to finish the job in the end.
With that being said, that was five years ago, and it is clear that Carson Wentz will never be able to reach the same level of elite performance that he once had before. The Eagles knew this, especially after their disastrous 2020 season, and made the correct decision in moving on from Wentz when it was time.
Sure, were the Eagles lucky to land back on their feet by drafting Jalen Hurts in the second round, even though he was not supposed to be the team’s franchise quarterback in the first place?
Absolutely! But at the end of the day, the past is in the past, and the Eagles have taken full advantage of the opportunity, surrounding Jalen Hurts with the right coaching staff and the right personnel for him to succeed at the highest level.
As a result, Jalen Hurts has been able to outperform Carson Wentz, even at his best year because of his ability to be both an efficient pocket passer, a downright threat with his ground game, and a far much better leader in the locker room.
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