Jalen Hurts faces growing criticism despite record-breaking 2025 season

Jalen Hurts just finished his third straight Pro Bowl season, yet the conversation around the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback keeps tilting toward skepticism. Despite leading the league in passing touchdowns and guiding his team to the NFC Championship Game on 19 January 2025, critics argue his playoff struggles define his legacy.

What’s driving the criticism?

The backlash stems from a familiar script: Hurts’ playoff record-three straight losses in the NFC title game-overshadows his regular-season dominance. He threw for 4,300 yards and 38 touchdowns in 2024, then upped those marks to 4,500 yards and 42 scores in 2025. Yet when the Eagles fell 24-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl on 9 February 2025, the narrative calcified. Analysts pounced on his 1-3 record in conference title games, ignoring his 2025 regular-season efficiency rating of 104.2.

Why the stats don’t lie

Hurts finished 2025 as the NFL’s top-rated passer under pressure, per Pro Football Focus. He led all quarterbacks in third-down conversion rate (52%) and ranked second in QBR (72.1). His 35 rushing touchdowns since 2023 trail only Lamar Jackson. Yet the noise persists. “People forget he’s 26, already a two-time MVP finalist, and still climbing,” said Nick Sirianni, the Eagles head coach.

The media’s role in shaping the debate

National analysts have framed Hurts as a “clutch question mark,” despite his 2025 playoff performance-298 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs in a Week 18 win over Dallas. The narrative ignores his Week 17 dismantling of the 49ers (320 yards, 4 TDs) or his 2024 playoff comeback against Green Bay. “It’s a story we’ve seen before,” said ESPN’s Louis Riddick. “Great regular-season QBs get labeled by one or two postseason losses.”

Where does Hurts go from here?

The Eagles enter 2026 with Hurts under contract through 2028 and a revamped defense. If he can finally break through in the playoffs, the criticism may fade-but until then, the debate will rage. For now, Hurts keeps producing. He’s already the fastest QB to 10,000 yards and 100 TDs in league history, doing it in 38 games. The numbers don’t lie. The doubters do.