Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts changes play-callers almost as often as he changes socks. New offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is the quarterback’s 10th play-caller in nine seasons as either a college or NFL starter.
“When you win, they’re probably going to leave,” Hurts said during the offseason, via Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “It’s just how it goes.”
That’s how it went the last time Hurts entered a season with the same play-caller, Shane Steichen in 2022, when the Eagles lost 38-35, to Kansas City in Super Bowl LVII. Steichen left to become head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. While Hurts would love some consistency, to his credit, he’s used that adversity to become a better player.
“I’ve always managed to have success in it,” said Hurts, who estimated 95 percent of the playbook changed when the Eagles moved on from Brian Johnson. Now, Hurts has his fifth play-caller in five NFL seasons.
“So that’s always been a good thing because you’ve been able to learn from people and apply it and kind of take what applies to you. But in the end, I think that is important. We are where we are, but some of those things are kind of surface level in terms of what we can really accomplish.”
Hurts and the Eagles can accomplish another 1-0 record Friday against Green Bay in Sao Paulo, Brazil (8:15 p.m. ET, Peacock). Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni is 3-0 in Week 1 games, one of three active head coaches with an unblemished career record in those contests (Jim Harbaugh is 4-0, Mike McDaniel 2-0).
Philadelphia added more wrinkles to that playbook Aug. 22 when it acquired wide receiver Jahan Dotson from Johnson and NFC East rival Washington. The former first-round selection joins A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in one of the NFL’s best wide-receiver rooms.
The Associated Press this week picked the Eagles to win Super Bowl LIX in a Kansas City rematch, capitalizing on another key offseason addition, Saquon Barkley.