Larry Henry Jr
Many fans and media alike were curious to how Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback Jalen Hurts would react to the bright lights of Super Bowl 57, and although the Eagles came out just short against the Kansas City Chiefs, Hurts’ delivered a performance that every fan will be proud of.
Hurts totaled 374 yards and four touchdowns in the Eagles 38-35 defeat to the Chiefs in an instant classic from University of Phoenix Stadium. The third-year quarterback was sharp, confident, and versatile for Shane Steichen’s offense, albeit Nick Sirianni’s men did not come out on the winning end.
The lone blemish of Hurts’ performance was a fumble in the second quarter, which Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton raced back 36-yards for a touchdown. Outside of that, Hurts delivered his best performance of the season, becoming the first player in NFL history to register four total touchdowns and not win the game.
Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes walked away from the game with his second Super Bowl ring, as well as second Super Bowl MVP award, capping off a historic campaign for the former Texas Tech standout. Although Hurts did not end up on the winning team, Mahomes offered nothing but praise for the Eagles gunslinger in the biggest game of his professional career to date.
“If there was any doubters left, there shouldn’t be now,” Mahomes said postgame. “The way he stepped up on this stage and ran, threw the ball – whatever it took for his team to win. I mean, that was a special performance.”
Hurts finished the 2022 season as a finalist for both the league’s MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards, ultimately falling to Mahomes and Justin Jefferson respectively in both categories. He set several career-highs for the Eagles this season while also leading the team to an NFC East title and a new franchise record for victories in a single campaign.
Sunday’s defeat will be a painful one for both players and fans alike heading into the offseason, but Hurts’ terrific season is a huge glimpse of his long-term potential for the Eagles going forward.
You can follow Larry Henry on Twitter (@lhenry019) and e-mail him at [email protected].
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