If you win in Philadelphia, you’re a legend for life. Just ask Nick Foles. If you lose, not so much. Just ask Carson Wentz, Doug Pederson, Vince Young, and perhaps even Donovan McNabb. The latter is viewed more fondly by Birds fans, but there was a time when he was considered the reason Philadelphia didn’t win a Super Bowl under Andy Reid. His shortcomings were a significant factor in Philadelphians’ complex relationship with the former face of the franchise. Still, nowadays, you see plenty of No. 5 jerseys at Lincoln Financial Field and the tailgates in the Jetro Lot.
Suffice it to say there’s a fine line, and Eagles fans quickly turn on a player when they don’t deliver. If Jalen Hurts fails to bring the team its second Lombardi Trophy this Sunday, Maggie Gray believes the faithful will start to question him. “If Jalen Hurts loses two Super Bowls to the Chiefs, and their three-peat has two Eagles Ls on it, I think the Philly fanbase is going to say, ‘Enough with this guy.’ They’re going to wonder if he cost them a shot at a title,” Gray explained.
Gray’s co-host on Maggie & Perloff, Andrew Perloff, disagreed. Formerly a Dannette on The Dan Patrick Show, McLovin is also a diehard Eagles fan, and with the pulse of the fanbase on his side, Perloff countered that Hurts is simply a cog in the machine. “I disagree with your premise — it is not the era of the quarterback,” said Perloff. “The era of the quarterback died this year. Now, it is the era of the running back. If the Philadelphia Eagles are going to win the Super Bowl, it’s going to be a Saquon Barkley show. They want to hand him the ball 30 times to minimize Patrick Mahomes’ opportunities. So, I think — and this may sound strange — Jalen Hurts is somewhat of a role player, like a sixth man.”
“If Jalen Hurts loses two Super Bowls to the Chiefs… I think that the Philly fan base is going to say enough with this guy.”
Maggie thinks Jalen Hurts has the most at stake in this year’s Super Bowl, but Perloff argues that the Eagles QB has been relegated to a “role player” pic.twitter.com/OMIJApxJ7g
— Maggie and Perloff (@MaggieandPerl) February 5, 2025
Gray stated it was impossible, but is it? If the Eagles win, Hurts cements his legacy; if they lose, Gray believes the questions will begin. And in Philadelphia, once those questions surface, they rarely go away. Just ask the quarterbacks who came before him.
