By the time the Eagles made Jalen Hurts their starting quarterback last season, right tackle Lane Johnson was already out for the rest of the year to undergo ankle surgery.
Johnson recently told Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he was impressed with Hurts’ maturity even before they became teammates, based on what Hurts had done at the college level. But when it comes to Hurts’ future in the pros, Johnson essentially said the jury is still out.
“I think you see a guy who has an arm and is versatile, with his legs, but we’re still waiting to see — you know, [with Hurts as] QB 1, what we can do in a full season,” Johnson said. “He carries himself like a veteran.”
Hurts showed some promise as a first-year player in 2020, throwing for 1,061 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions, plus rushing for 354 yards and three TDs. But a recent report out of Philadelphia indicates there hasn’t been consensus in the organization about Hurts and his future.
After trading back from No. 6 to No. 12, the Eagles are unlikely to be in the market for one of the top passers in the upcoming draft. So in all likelihood, Hurts will get the chance to show Johnson and the rest of his teammates what he can bring to the position on a full-time basis.