“Promises Made and Kept”: Jalen Hurts’ Special Moment With O-Line Coach Jeff Stoutland Leaves Eagles Fans Emotional

In 2022, it felt like the stars had aligned for Jalen Hurts. In his 2nd year as a full-time starter, the star quarterback earned Pro Bowl and 2nd-Team All-Pro honors. He was also 2nd in MVP voting and 3rd in OPOY voting, as he went 14-1 as the starter and led his team all the way to the Super Bowl.

However, despite throwing for 300+ yards, completing over 71 percent of his passes, rushing for 70 yards, and contributing four total TDs in Super Bowl 57, Hurts and his Eagles still fell just a little bit short in the 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. A Hurts fumble on a strip-sack, which was returned for a TD by K.C., was a massive moment in the game. Though many promises were riding on that game, Hurts fell short that day. But this year, he finally delivered on those promises.

Hurts took his journey back to the pinnacle of the NFL very seriously. He repeatedly promised offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland—who’d already won one ring with the Eagles in 2017—that he’d put more rings on his fingers. After Hurts’ Super Bowl MVP performance in Philly’s dominant 40-22 win in Super Bowl LIX, Stoutland remembered the promise that was made to him.

“Stoutland: You just always tell me, you always say ‘I’ll put rings on your hands.’
Hurts: I told you I was.
Stoutland: I know you did. (Laughs)
Hurts: I’m glad you listened.”

Hurts had been severely doubted for much of the 2024 season, as most believed that running back Saquon Barkley was the real catalyst behind the Eagles’ successful season. It was a fair criticism: offensive coordinator Kellen Moore wasn’t exactly asking for Hurts to do much on most weeks. If teams can’t stop the run, there’s no reason to force a pass.

However, Hurts stepped up when needed. He even had a little fun with the media after his big 290-yard, 2-TD game against the Steelers in mid-December (“So, that’s what ya’ll wanted to see, huh?“). When the Chiefs sold out to stop Barkley (25 carries for 57 yards) in the Super Bowl, Hurts answered the call. He threw for 200+ and two TDs while also rushing for 70+ and another score.

A lot of the success of both Hurts and Barkley, however, can be credited to Stoutland and his massive offensive line. What made them probably the best offensive line in football was not only their size (average of 6’6” and 338 pounds) but their athleticism and their ability to be flexible, as several filled in for different positions during the playoff run.

Stoutland is a Philly man through and through: he was a college coach for 30 years before the Eagles gave him his first NFL shot in 2013 as the offensive line coach. He has retained that role ever since, also adding “run game coordinator” to his list of titles in 2018. That’s why his second ring with the Birds was so emotional, and that promise from Hurts meant so much to him. Fans, too, deeply understood the significance.

Jalen Hurts, Jeff Stoutland, and the Eagles have a bright future ahead of them. As many of the replies to that sweet, heartfelt moment stated: this group has the potential to get a lot more than one Lombardi Trophy. Philly is not expected to lose many major free agents.

Lineman Mekhi Becton could decide to stay if he accepts a lower salary than he might get elsewhere. Edge rusher Josh Sweat, meanwhile, is likely to depart and sign somewhere else for $22-$23 million a year. But that’s it.

Howie Roseman didn’t deal the Eagles into a financial corner to earn that Super Bowl ring. They’ve got about $25 million in cap space, which is middle of the pack for the 2025 NFL offseason, and a roster built to win for years to come.