Jalen Hurts huddles with another highly scrutinized QB, Shedeur Sanders, after the Eagles-Browns workout
The Cleveland rookie left early with an injury but made sure to seek out Hurts afterward. They had a "lengthy" talk, Hurts said.
Long after the double air horn sounded to signal the end of joint practice with the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, Jalen Hurts remained on the field.
The huddles had broken down. Players had consumed their cups of Rita’s water ice and headed back indoors. But Hurts stood on the far end of one of the practice fields in deep conversation with Shedeur Sanders, the rookie Browns quarterback — the one out of Colorado who lingered on the draft board until the fifth round.
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Sanders dropped out of practice due to injury. According to ESPN, he suffered an oblique injury in his side early in the session and did not participate in the rest of the day’s activities. Still, he made a point to seek out Hurts afterward, according to the Eagles quarterback.
Hurts declined to go into specifics about the conversation, describing the discussion only as “lengthy.” Regardless, he said he didn’t hesitate to share nuggets of wisdom with Sanders, 23. Hurts even gave the injured quarterback a ride in his golf cart back to the facility after their conversation.
“I’m always there giving my perspective on what I see and how I’ve gone about things,” Hurts said. “Ultimately, it takes a great deal of patience and hard work and a sense of resilience. You’ve got to want it.”
Hurts knows a thing or two about resilience. He faced his share of trials in college — getting benched in the 2018 national championship game at Alabama, for example — and in the pros — falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.
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Even after reaching the mountaintop last season and earning his first Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LIX, Hurts still faces scrutiny about his ability, particularly as a passer. Meanwhile, Sanders hasn’t even played in a regular-season NFL game and has endured a Brinks truck full of scrutiny about his talent as a quarterback, his personality, and the influence of his father and college coach, Deion Sanders.
Hurts ought to understand the significance of having a role model at the position. As a young quarterback, he drew inspiration from the veterans he idolized. Hurts has long admired the lineage of Black quarterbacks that preceded him on the Eagles, including Randall Cunningham, Donovan McNabb, and Michael Vick.
He has role models outside the organization, too. After last season’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hurts shared his respect for Russell Wilson, who he said “paved the way for a ton of guys‚” including himself. Wilson, a dual-threat, Super Bowl-winning quarterback, did “many things [that] people said he couldn’t,” according to Hurts, much like the 27-year-old Eagles quarterback.
When asked if he feels an obligation to be a sounding board for young quarterbacks as they enter the league, Hurts explained that he views the dynamic differently.
“Well, there’s a sense of obligation to be yourself,” Hurts said. “And that’s who I am, to be honest and genuine in expressing how I got to where I am today. It wasn’t an easy journey. It’s always going to present its own challenges. But continue to be who I am. Continue to carry myself in a humble way and always put in the work first, so I know, and I’m aware of that.
“I know that’s the torch that I hold. It’s something I respect and embrace and accept for what it is. At the same time, I always put my focus on always being the best I can be, and hopefully, my actions can speak louder than anything that I can say.”
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Sanders is a ways away from making an impact at quarterback. The Browns brought in a pair of veterans in 40-year-old Joe Flacco, the likely Week 1 starter, and former Steelers starter and Eagles backup Kenny Pickett this offseason. Browns general manager Andrew Berry also selected Dillon Gabriel in the third round of the draft out of Oregon.
But at the very least, Sanders has made his case for the initial 53-man roster in a crowded QB corps. He had a solid preseason debut last week against the Carolina Panthers, going 14-for-23 for 138 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 19 yards on four carries.
Regardless of Sanders’ role on the Browns this season, he has an advocate in Hurts.
“I’m supporting him from where I am, and I wish him nothing but the best with his opportunities,” Hurts said.
Jeffrey Lurie has owned the Philadelphia Eagles, which he purchased in 1994, longer than his son, Julian, has been alive. But in recent years, the younger Lurie, heir to the franchise and now 31, has assumed a more pervasive and influential role in the organization. While the Eagles have made no secret about Julian’s increased involvement with the team, specifics about his role have been scant. In recent months, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane spoke to nearly two dozen sources on and off the record to gain a better understanding of not just who Julian Lurie is and what he does, but - most important of all - whether he’ll be ready to assume the reins as Eagles Chairman and CEO, whenever the time comes. Jeff shares the biggest takeaways from his reporting with Inquirer columnist Mike Sielski in this companion episode to Jeff’s feature article about the Eagles' succession plan. Listen here.
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