Russell Wilson sees his approach to the game in Eagles QB Jalen Hurts. Having the same mental coach helps.
On the CBS Sports podcast, "Set, Hut!" Wilson said the connection goes far beyond their ability to run and throw on a football field.
Russell Wilson watched Jalen Hurts throw two interceptions against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, then lead the Eagles to a last-minute victory.
To Wilson, Hurts’ response looked familiar.
“I think Jalen Hurts and I are very similar,” Wilson said Tuesday on CBS Sports’ Set, Hut!
The comparison predates Wilson’s remarks. In 2021, then-Eagles cornerback Darius Slay likened Hurts to a young Wilson on a CBS Sports podcast. Slay pointed to the running games that supported both quarterbacks early in their careers and to Wilson’s development as a passer. He believed Hurts could make a similar progression.
Wilson said the connection goes beyond their ability to run and throw. The quarterbacks have talked often over the years, he said, and both worked at different points with mental conditioning coach Trevor Moawad.
Moawad met Wilson at IMG Academy in 2012, as Wilson prepared for the NFL draft. He became Wilson’s longtime coach, mentor, and friend. After Moawad died of cancer in 2021, Wilson recalled how he had helped him through both winning a Super Bowl and losing one the following year.
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Wilson said Moawad taught him an approach he called “neutral thinking.” A quarterback has to deal with the play in front of him, Wilson explained, rather than carry an interception into the next series or dwell on a successful drive. Some teammates thought Wilson’s steady demeanor was an act. He said it was how he stayed present, and he sees that same steadiness in Hurts.
Wilson did not overlook the turnovers. He called Hurts’ first interception a bad throw and described the second as an attempt to take a shot against a Titans defense that was making the game difficult.
What impressed Wilson was Hurts’ response after both mistakes.
The first interception ended the Eagles’ 15-play opening drive. Tennessee safety Amani Hooker picked off Hurts in the end zone and returned the ball 92 yards, setting up a Titans touchdown.
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With the game tied at 17 and about six minutes remaining, cornerback Marcus Harris intercepted an under thrown pass intended for DeVonta Smith. Tennessee later took a 20-17 lead on a field goal with 1 minute, 56 seconds left.
Hurts answered by completing a 20-yard pass to Dontayvion Wicks on third down, later finding Smith for 19 yards on another third down to reach the Titans’ 3-yard line. His next pass went to Darius Cooper for the winning touchdown with nine seconds remaining. The nine-play, 65-yard drive gave the Eagles a 24-20 victory and gave Wilson a clear example of the composure he had been describing.
“He never gets flustered. And that’s not fake. That’s who he is,” Wilson said.
Hurts described that responsibility in similar terms after the win, saying a quarterback has to manage the weight of the position without losing focus.
“You’ve got to keep your poise and keep your focus,” Hurts said. “Today we were able to do that.”
Wilson also reflected on what their Super Bowl victories mean beyond the field. He was the second Black starting quarterback to win one, following Washington’s Doug Williams in 1988. Wilson called Williams an inspiration and said he valued seeing Patrick Mahomes and then Hurts join them.
Their paths also intersect in Eagles draft history. Philadelphia considered taking Wilson in 2012 but hoped he would still be available in the third round. Seattle selected him 75th overall; the Eagles took Nick Foles 13 picks later.
That missed opportunity influenced how general manager Howie Roseman approached Hurts in 2020. The Eagles selected Hurts 53rd overall, in the second round, while Carson Wentz was still their starter. Roseman later explained that the 2012 draft had taught him to take a quarterback he valued when he had the chance, rather than risk waiting another round.
After the Eagles beat Wilson’s Steelers in December 2024, Hurts told him on the field that he had watched him throughout childhood. Hurts later explained what Wilson had meant to him.
“He’s paved the way for a ton of guys, including myself,” Hurts said.
