Jalen Hurts showed his determination and grit against the Los Angeles Rams, powering his team through the Divisional Round. However, the quarterback is being criticized for his gameplay.
Seven-time National Championship-winning head coach Nick Saban had thoughts on the matter — his analysis of Hurts is considered accurate by Philadelphia Eagles fans.
Nick Saban’s True Assessment of Jalen Hurts Rings a Bell for Eagles Fans
Saban has proven his mettle with decades of work at the college level. He even coached Hurts for three seasons while the quarterback was at Alabama. Hence, Saban has a better understanding of Hurts’ style than most.
During his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” the 73-year-old countered the arguments against Hurts not being an elite passer. “I think he’s doing the things he needs to do to win,” Saban said.
“They’re a running football team. That’s what the Philadelphia Eagles are. They’ve got Saquon Barkley, they run it, Jalen can run it, which he had a big play last night as a runner.
“When Jalen was with us, we would have team and seven-on-seven, and I would say, ‘You cannot run, you cannot scramble, you have to throw the ball on time.’ And because these guys are so athletic, they see the rush coming, and they think they can scramble and get out of it.
“And a couple of those sacks that he took last night. He took them because in normal circumstances, no snow, no bad knee, all that he probably would have been able to escape and get away and make a play.”
Fans were impressed by this evaluation of Hurts amidst the negativity, and some even suggested that Eagles HC Nick Sirianni should implement these training methods in preparation for the NFC Championship Game.
“Somebody email this to the Sirianni and the coaching staff about how to organize practice. Practicing standing in the discomfort of not being able to scramble,” one user replied to the clip of Saban from the show.
Somebody email this to the Sirianni and the coaching staff about how to organize practice. Practicing standing in the discomfort of not being able to scramble.
— Ms. Andrea 3000 (@MsAndrea3000) January 20, 2025
“Now this is a fair assessment that’s spot on and reasonable with context. Very well said and accurate. Anything else I hear today is total BS,” one fan added.
“Pretty solid point. Send this to Nick,” tweeted a fan.
Pretty solid point. Send this to Nick
— Observer (@mzaladonis) January 21, 2025
“So basically Nick has his head up his a** doing practice,” another fan commented.
“As a eagles fan and football purist, I see nothing wrong with what Nick Saban had to say,” tweeted another fan.
As a eagles fan and football purist, I see nothing wrong with what Nick Saban had to say https://t.co/2AsywifOuf
— Mr. Marriott 🏌🏾 (@TBD009) January 20, 2025
“This is why Nick Saban is the greatest coach ever,” another fan added.
It’s still not clear whether Hurts will be less than full strength against the Washington Commanders this Sunday. The 26-year-old reaggravated his knee injury against the Rams but managed to finish the game.
Fans would be hoping for Sirianni to implement Saban’s advice and implement it as much as they can in the Conference Championship matchup.