What can Eagles fans expect from Jalen Hurts?

The Eagles are finally ready to give Jalen Hurts his chance at quarterback. What can Philadelphia expect him to do on Monday night?

Jalen Hurts is finally going to get his chance to fix the Eagles on Monday night. He won’t be the starter when Philadelphia lines up against the Seahawks, but the news that he will finally get snaps at quarterback gives fans something to be excited about.

That’s an accomplishment for a franchise that limps into the matchup with a putrid record of 3-6-1. Somehow, the Eagles can still reasonably believe they’re in the mix to win an NFC East title. A win over the Seahawks would be a big boost for the team’s chances of sneaking into the playoffs.

Carson Wentz’s horrific season is a big reason why the Eagles find themselves in this unenviable position. He’s been one of the worst starters in the entire NFL. He’s only completing a shade over 58% of his passes and his terrible touchdown to interception ratio of 14:14 means he’s put his defense in bad positions over and over again. Many Eagles fans would say it’s past time for Doug Pederson to make a change at quarterback.

That’s why the news that Hurts has been getting significant first-team reps during practice this week has been met by such optimism inside the Eagles’ passionate fan base. To convert that optimism into actual joy, Hurts will need to provide his offense a spark. The fact that he’s received exactly zero snaps on the field without Wentz during his rookie campaign means it’s fair to wonder what Philadelphia might get from their second-round pick on Monday night.

How will Hurts help the Eagles’ offense?

The biggest benefit Hurts will give Pederson’s attack immediately is his mobility at the quarterback position. The Eagles’ offensive line has been decimated due to injury this season. The team’s struggles up front are somewhat responsible for Wentz’s struggles.

Expect Pederson to give Hurts plenty of chances to make plays with his legs. That means Philadelphia will attack the Seahawks defense with a number of designed runs and RPOs with Hurts under center. He isn’t going into the game to operate as a wildcat quarterback, but expect the Eagles to give him a playset designed to take advantage of his speed.

The big question Hurts needs to answer is whether or not he can be an above-average signal-caller inside the pocket. In fairness to the talented rookie, Wentz hasn’t set the bar very high in that regard in 2020. If Hurts can be an average quarterback inside the pocket on Monday it should allow his talents on the perimeter to immediately upgrade Philadelphia’s offense.

How much will Hurts play?

Wentz seems set to start the game, but unless he plays exceptional football early then Eagles fans should look for Hurts to get into the game relatively soon. Exactly how much he plays will largely depend on his performance and the score.

If he successfully moves the Eagles offense and keeps the game tight, it’s possible he will capture the lion’s share of the playing time down the stretch.

If, on the other hand, he struggles early and the Eagles get behind, then Pederson will stick with Wentz as the superior passer. Hurts isn’t ready to pilot an offense that needs to throw the ball on every down to catch up with Seattle. The coaching staff won’t hang him out to try in that regard.

Is putting Hurts on the field a big deal?

The decision to give Hurts playing time as a conventional quarterback does represent a major ideological change inside the Eagles’ organization. Wentz is no longer untouchable. The higher-ups in the franchise clearly want to know whether or not Hurts has what it takes to replace him if things don’t improve. That makes Monday night a gigantic audition for the talented rookie.