Even the people who believed the Philadelphia Eagles would win Super Bowl 59 did not think they would do so because of Jalen Hurts. Surely, it would be Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley leading them to victory? But no, it was Philly’s QB that stepped up in the Big Game. He had three total TDs on the day. He put up the 13th-highest passer rating (119.7) and 4th-highest completion percentage (77.3) in Super Bowl history. Still, he’s not satisfied.
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A storyline that has been threaded through this Eagles Super Bowl run was the doubt and disrespect Hurts was receiving. He doubled down on it: his phone screensaver for the last two years has been a photo of him trudging through the Chiefs’ Super Bowl 57 celebration.
However, after getting his revenge and outplaying Patrick Mahomes, he was asked whether he’d change it while taking in the Eagles Super Bowl parade. Apparently, he has no plans to do so.
Fox reporter: Have you changed that screensaver?
Hurts: No, I have not.
Fox reporter: Will you change that screensaver?
Hurts: No anticipation. It’s not doing anything bad for me, so.
"A lot of people do a lot to come watch us on Sunday's…it's just a moment to celebrate."
(via @FOX29philly) pic.twitter.com/0xsm5tNKOo
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) February 14, 2025
Hurts had been quiet for much of the season prior to the NFC Championship. Leading into that matchup with the Washington Commanders, he had posted just one 200+ passing-yard performance in his last seven outings.
Over the final two games of the season—the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl 59—Hurts averaged about 230 yards per game while completing 74 percent of his passes and contributing seven total TDs. Once he started smelling a return to the Super Bowl after two years of waiting, he wasn’t going to let the opportunity escape.
Super Bowl 57 loss had a big impact on Jalen Hurts
There was no Saquon Barkley to carry the load for the Eagles back in 2022. That year, the offense largely revolved around Jalen Hurts. He led them all the way to Super Bowl 57. But, despite putting up 304 yards and a TD through the air as well as 70 yards and three scores on the ground, his Eagles still lost 38-35 in the end.
That loss has weighed on him ever since. In fact, even in the throes of elated celebration, he had to admit that he does subscribe to that old sports maxim: “I hate to lose more than I love to win.”
“The joy of winning the Super Bowl didn’t compare to the pain of losing it. I learned how to process everything after that game, I understood where my heart was, and it changed my soul. All the hard work, blood, sweat, and tears made this year even more meaningful.”
A couple of his teammates poured victory Gatorade on head coach Nick Sirianni when there were still several minutes left in the game. Hurts, however, did not celebrate until the fat lady had sung. He maintained a stoic demeanor until the very last seconds ticked off. He was not only trying to process the joy of the win in the moment but also in the context of that loss from two years prior.
“I was trying to process it, and even today, I still am. I was completely focused on the moment. I had no comparison for this feeling, only the pain of losing before.”
If Jalen Hurts really does hate losing more than he loves winning, that screensaver should be up on his phone for some time yet. Like he said, it worked pretty well for him this season, didn’t it?
