Does Jalen Hurts have a bad reputation? It depends on who you ask. Certainly not as a person, but his abilities as a passer have been scrutinized repeatedly. It wasn’t long ago when Dan Orlovsky referred to him as a “liability.” Although the ESPN analyst has since apologized for his remarks, he was not alone in his doubts.
However, with his remarkable Super Bowl performance, Hurts decisively silenced critics concerning his leadership in a vertical passing offense. He has established himself as one of the stronger quarterbacks, overcoming a narrative from when he was once benched in a National Championship game for Tua Tagovailoa. Unlike in that game, where he was sidelined in Super Bowl LIX in favor of Kenny Pickett, Hurts has proven his ability to outperform even those considered the best, such as the highly regarded quarterback many viewed as the pinnacle of the NFL.
This leads to the question: why did Hurts face such a negative reputation prior to this game? Ryan Clark sought to address this issue. On The Get Got Pod, he pointed out, “The same reason [Marshawn Lynch] had to go to Seattle and continue to be himself before people could forget about the perception of him in Buffalo. Jalen Hurts came into the league with a perception of ‘You can’t throw the football,’ which is why he was drafted in the second round and ultimately replaced by Tua Tagovailoa during the National Championship game. Consequently, if he isn’t passing successfully or the passing game falls short of expectations, those past perceptions resurface.”
Clark emphasized that Hurts’ noteworthy contributions were often overlooked: “Think about the Divisional Round of the playoffs. A.J. Brown drops a touchdown. A.J. Brown drops a dig. Devonta Smith gets an unnecessary roughness. Those plays combined could have easily changed the game’s outcome. Yet, everyone scrutinizes Jalen for the need to improve the passing game, despite his 45-yard rushing touchdown leading the team to victory through their running game. In contrast, Josh Allen wins the MVP with just 126 yards passing, and everyone celebrates him for defeating Baltimore.”
Why does this disparity exist? “Because the perception of Josh Allen is that he’s a good quarterback, a top-tier thrower,” Clark explained further. “As a result, people don’t analyze his statistics the same way they do Jalen’s.” Despite the constant barrage of criticism, Hurts continues to show that he is much more than the doubts that have shadowed him.
In light of Super Bowl LIX, Hurts demonstrated precisely what he is capable of, transforming from a quarterback striving to prove himself into one of the NFL’s elite players. The fact that it’s taken so long for everyone to recognize this reality is arguably the true story. However, perception remains a powerful influence, making it an ongoing challenge for Hurts to dispel the labels assigned to him early in his career.
Perhaps a Lombardi Trophy will ultimately change that narrative.
