“Why Are The Eagles Complaining?”: Stephen A. Smith Defends Jalen Hurts Using Patrick Mahomes’ Winning Record

Reports surfaced this week that multiple Philadelphia Eagles offensive players have grown frustrated with Jalen Hurts’ approach, particularly against zone coverage. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, some teammates believe Hurts has become hesitant in tight windows and too reliant on checkdowns or scrambles.

The tension only grew louder as A.J. Brown, called this season a “s–t show” shortly after a 10–7 win over Green Bay, where he finished with just two catches for 13 yards.

That growing conversation is exactly what Stephen A. Smith addressed. However, instead of questioning Hurts’ play, Stephen A. pointed directly to Hurts’ winning record and compared it to the biggest names in football, to detail why anyone in Philadelphia is complaining in the first place.

Stephen A. reminded viewers that since 2022, including postseason games, Hurts is 51–4, a staggering 79 percent winning percentage. He emphasized that this isn’t just “good,” it’s better than Patrick Mahomes, who is 53–16 over that stretch. It’s better than Josh Allen’s 48–19. Better than Lamar Jackson’s 39–17. Better than Sam Darnold’s 25–10. And all of that comes with two Super Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl championship already on Hurts’ résumé.

As Stephen A. put it, “That’s the Jalen Hurts we’re talking about. So what the hell is the problem? Why are the Eagles complaining?”

If Hurts is winning more than Mahomes, more than Lamar, more than nearly every top quarterback in the league, why is there internal frustration? Why is there reported friction in the locker room? Stephen A. stressed that this isn’t a media creation, it’s coming from inside the building, and to understand it, he broke down Philadelphia’s dramatic offensive regression this season.

Last year, the Eagles were eighth in total offense; now they’ve plummeted to 25th, down nearly 70 yards per game. Their pass offense has fallen to 28th. A.J. Brown, who averaged 83 yards per game last season, is down to 51, a massive drop for a $32 million receiver. The run game, once powered by Saquon Barkley’s historic 2,000-yard season, has collapsed from the league’s No. 2 rushing attack to just 17th. Barkley’s production alone has fallen from 125 yards per game to 66. Even their scoring offense has fallen from seventh to the middle of the pack, and their third-down efficiency has cratered from 10th to 29th.

This, Stephen A. argued, is the real source of the frustration, not Hurts’ leadership, not his accountability, not his winning. The offense isn’t close to the unit that dominated last year, and the offensive players feeling the decline most, like Brown, are naturally voicing their frustrations.

As the Eagles prepare for a division showdown against the Cowboys and look to finally ignite their offense, Hurts enters Week 12 with a 7–2 record, one interception on the year, and still one of the best win rates in all of football.