Jalen Hurts is bullish on early chemistry with Eagles wideouts as the offense builds ‘our own thing’
Hurts praised wideouts DeVonta Smith and Darius Cooper after Thursday's practice following their big performances in the team's Week 2 win.
It was perhaps the biggest question entering the 2026 season: How would the Eagles pass game fare without A.J. Brown?
DeVonta Smith was lauded as a No. 2 option, but it wasn’t a guarantee he’d thrive as a No. 1 wideout. Dontayvion Wicks was the ultimate wild card. Ditto for rookie Makai Lemon. Few had Darius Cooper making the 53-man roster, let alone being a regular contributor.
Through two weeks, this room has been an advantage for Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, not a problem.
» READ MORE: Zach Ertz was ‘nervous’ for his first practice back with the Eagles. The next stage of his football life is underway.
The Birds have five receiving touchdowns through two games, which is tied for fifth best in the NFL entering Thursday. Their 467 receiving yards ranks 11th. Smith has the 13th most yards in the league with 170, while Wicks isn’t far behind him with 147 (19th).
Compare that to their production in the run game — Eagles running backs averaged just 3.7 yards per carry in the first two weeks — and you can see how much of a difference the receivers have made.
Smith in particular has been a force, coming up clutch on the game-winning drive against Tennessee with 38 yards on four receptions. Hurts sung his praises after Thursday’s practice.
“I think [DeVonta’s] thinking less because this is something that he’s familiar with,” said Hurts. “And then secondly is the time that we spent together to be able to learn each other. The opportunities I’ve had to learn his body language, to get to know the type of player he is. Everything I’ve seen to that point, he’s given me the utmost confidence. We just want to continue to build. … As a collective [the goal], is just to make this our own thing.”
Smith was an obvious candidate to jell with Sean Mannion’s new offense. Other players, like Cooper — who scored the game-winning touchdown on Sunday — have been a surprise to outsiders. Not to Hurts, though. The quarterback felt Cooper was primed for a breakout.
“I don’t think there’s any surprise on what type of player he is,” Hurts said. “How he shows up, the character he has and how he works, he’s been able to show up and he’s been willing to do all the things that can help the team be in the best place.
“So, I’m proud of him and excited to see him grow. He’s got an old soul. Sometimes you forget how young in his career he is. He’s going to be great.”
It hasn’t all been perfect. Lemon, for instance, has just nine yards on four receptions, and while he’s shown flashes with his blocking and hustle, it’s no secret the Eagles want more production from their first-round pick.
» READ MORE: Offensive coordinator Sean Mannion talks Eagles’ early-down woes, potential Zach Ertz role
As Lemon works to improve, Wicks has quickly grown into the ideal No. 2 option, posting 70 or more receiving yards in consecutive games. Last season with the Packers, he only had 70-plus yards one time.
“I think that happens when you’re watching the tape prior to [Wicks] even getting here,” said coach Nick Sirianni. “That’s why Howie was aggressive to go and get him, because we saw the potential of what he could be, and then we knew about the person with the guys that were in Green Bay.
“When he started doing the things that we saw on tape, it wasn’t a surprise because there was a lot of work that went into identifying that, and the words that were being said by Sean [Mannion] and Ryan [Mahaffey] were matching what we saw on tape. He’s been a great addition. I love his physicality within the game of football and his mentality and competitiveness for football. Forget about how explosive he is at the top of the route, his ability to catch contested balls. I just love his mentality of how he goes about his daily work and the competitiveness that happens on the field with him.”
The Eagles survived -- again. This time, instead of holding on for dear life as they did in their opener against Washington, the Eagles came from behind in the final minutes to pull out a gutsy win at Tennessee, with their quarterback leading the way. With the Eagles 2-0, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Mike Sielski examine Jalen Hurts’ promising performance through two games, and dig into the uneven play of the defense. Listen here.
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