A little over a month ago, Jalen Hurts was the frontrunner for the MVP award.
Now he’s not even a Pro Bowler.
The NFL Pro Bowl roster was announced Wednesday night, and Hurts, who played in 2022, was notable for his absence. The three QBs taken from the NFC were Brock Purdy (starter) of the 49ers, Dak Prescott of the Cowboys, and Matthew Stafford of the Rams.
Hurts is a first alternate, so it’s possible (or even possible?) that he could be a Pro Bowler in the 2023 season.
This season, Hurts ranks second among NFL quarterbacks with a franchise-record 38 touchdowns. He is second only to Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who has 42 touchdowns this season. Allen was also noticeably absent from this year’s AFC roster.
In 16 games this season, Hurts led the Eagles to an 11-5 record, completing 66.1 percent of his passes for 3,803 yards, 23 passing touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He also gained 601 yards, scored 15 touchdowns and had five lost fumbles.
Here’s how these numbers compare to NFC Pro Bowl QBs.
it hurts: (11-5), 66.1%, 3,803 yards, 23 TDs, 14 INTs. 601 rushing yards, 15 TDs
Purdy: (12-4), 69.4%, 4,280 yards, 31 TDs, 11 INTs. 144 rushing yards, 2TDs
Prescott: (11-5), 68.4%, 4,237 yards, 32 TDs, 8 INTs. 242 yards, 2TDs
Stafford: (9-6), 62.6%, 3,965 yards, 24 TDs, 11 INTs. 65 rushing yards
It’s hard to argue that Hurts is more deserving of a Pro Bowl than Purdy or Prescott, but his overall numbers are better than Stafford when you include rushing stats. And the Eagles have a better record than the Rams. But perhaps Hurts’ turnovers kept him away.
Hurts did not make the Pro Bowl, but six of his teammates did: Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson, AJ Brown, D’Andre Swift and Haason Reddick.
The Eagles have multiple substitutes in addition to Hurts: kicker Jake Elliott (No. 1 reserve), cornerback Darius Slay (No. 1 reserve), return specialist Britten Covey (No. 2) and defensive end Josh Sweat (2nd), tackle Jordan Mailata (3rd), defensive tackle Jalen Carter (4th), tight end Dallas Goedert (4th) and guard Cam Jurgens (5th).
The kicker in front of Elliott was Brandon Aubrey of the Cowboys. The corners in front of Slay are Daron Brand, Charvarius Ward, Jaylon Johnson and Devon Witherspoon.
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