Jalen Hurts: Pressure, Passing, and the Eagles’ Growing Concerns

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Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Brandon Graham, Jordan Mailata, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jalen Hurts—these are some of the key names circling the conversation. Whether spoken openly or implied, Hurts’ struggles in the passing game are becoming a growing problem.

Can Hurts adjust now that his go-to security blanket, Dallas Goedert, is on injured reserve for at least four games? I’m not a sports psychiatrist, nor have I personally examined Jalen Hurts, but I have a hunch: he might be battling an anxiety-related issue that impacts his ability to consistently throw accurate passes beyond 10 yards. It reminds me of the “yips” in golf or Steve Sax’s struggles throwing to first base—hesitation, double clutching, and then a disastrous result.

If Hurts hasn’t consulted a sports psychologist by now to address what seems to be a lingering issue dating back to last season, I don’t see the problem fixing itself in the short term. In fact, it may worsen under mounting pressure and increased scrutiny. Hurts performs better on the road, where Philly fans—and their notorious boos—are less pervasive. The added ability to relax seems to help.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, this upcoming game is at home, and the pressure will be immense. To make matters worse, they face a talented Steelers team led by Russell Wilson, a quarterback who historically poses all kinds of challenges and, if memory serves, has never lost to the Eagles.