Jalen Hurts has been ranked surprisingly low in several Top 10 QB lists ahead of the 2025 season. The biggest shock came when Cam Newton didn’t include him at all. Considering Hurts just led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl win and earned Super Bowl MVP honors, many would assume he’s a lock for the top 10. Newton, however, saw it differently.
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The former Panthers QB and league MVP didn’t hesitate to explain why, either. He pointed to the talent surrounding Hurts, noting the presence of stars like AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Saquon Barkley as factors that made life easier for the Eagles offense.
However, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni recently seemed to indirectly clap back at Newton’s take, saying a quarterback’s job is to elevate the players around him, essentially the opposite of Newton’s reasoning.
“That’s the job of a quarterback, right? The job of the quarterback is to raise the level of everybody on the field,” Sirianni stated on Lots to Say podcast.
The Eagles coach went on to talk about Hurts’ selflessness and how much he appreciates it.
“I love his selflessness. He’ll do anything. All he cares about is winning. He’ll do anything we need to do to win. If that’s- throw it 50 times, he’s in. If that’s Saquon running 50 times, he’s in,” Sirianni added.
It’s one of those skills that often goes overlooked in most QBs. Some guys simply aren’t willing to put it all on the line when it matters most. Take Newton, for example. He was an incredible player in his prime and even won an MVP, but in that same season, there’s an iconic video of him hesitating to dive on a loose ball that he fumbled in the Super Bowl of all games.
Sometimes actions speak louder than words. While Newton is remembered for that hesitation, Hurts is known for the exact opposite … it’s literally his signature move. The “Tush Push” has become the calling card of the Eagles’ offense, and it only works because Hurts is willing to dive into a pile of 300-pound bodies when the team needs it most.
Little things like that add up, building a QB who’s ready to do whatever it takes to win. That’s exactly how you’d describe Hurts, and it’s why Sirianni believes wins should count as a quarterback stat.
“The main thing is to win football games. I wish that was like you’re a major league baseball pitcher. You get a win, right? It’s a team game, but that guy gets a win. Well, that’s a quarterback stat too: you get the win. It’s your win. Man, I wish that was a stat. Maybe we could put that in there.”
It’s not a bad idea coming from the head of the Eagles. We often highlight passing yards, touchdowns, interceptions, and yards per completion when glorifying QBs. Why aren’t wins viewed in the same light? Probably because there are so many players that make up a team. But like Sirianni pointed out, the pitcher is only one among many on a baseball team. Why does he get a win and not a QB?
Regardless, he’s spot on when it comes to describing Hurts. He may not have the flash and pizzazz of other QBs around the league like Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, or Josh Allen, but he does his job by elevating the teammates around him and putting his body on the line almost every play to win games. Now, he has a Super Bowl ring to show for it, something that should be celebrated, not criticized.
