In the span of one season, the Philadelphia Eagles went from a borderline playoff team to one of the best teams in the NFL. It's true that Philly made several big additions on both sides of the ball last offseason, but the Eagles couldn't have won the NFC in 2022 if it weren't for the kind of year quarterback Jalen Hurts had.
The former second-round pick out of Oklahoma went 14-1 as the starter while completing 66.5% of his passes for 3,701 yards, 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Hurts' impact on the ground last season was considerable as well. He rushed for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns in the regular season, then added 143 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the postseason -- including three touchdowns on the ground in Super Bowl LVII. Hurts' 18 total rushing touchdowns were the most recorded by a quarterback in a single season in NFL history.
Hurts has established himself as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the game, but the Eagles reportedly believe he can make another jump in 2023. A jump centered around being an elite pocket passer.
"They also expect that Hurts can make another major jump," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said recently on "Get Up!" "He's done it every year. They believe he can be one of those elite precision-type pocket passers."
While Hurts finished in the top 10 in multiple passing categories last season, there's naturally still some room for the 24-year-old to grow. The Eagles are confident he can do so, and proved it by inking him to a five-year extension worth $255 million this offseason. The deal reportedly includes $179.304 million in guarantees, making Hurts the highest-paid player in NFL history in terms of average annual value before Lamar Jackson agreed to terms with the Baltimore Ravens on his record-breaking contract.
