Can Jalen Hurts be the Eagles starting quarterback in 2021 and beyond?

Can Jalen Hurts end up as QB1 in 2021?

Doug Pederson and the Philadelphia Eagles finally decided to rip off the Band-Aid, mercifully benching quarterback Carson Wentz in favor of rookie second-round pick Jalen Hurts.

Hurts, who had a brief cameo against the Green Bay Packers, will make his first start against New Orleans Saints, with the Arizona Cardinals and two divisional games against Washington and Dallas remaining on the schedule. If Hurts shows enough in these starts, it could convince Philadelphia to name him the starting quarterback in 2021.

Jalen Hurts has some flaws as a passer that need to be ironed out

Even considering his gaudy production at Oklahoma, a poor Senior Bowl highlighted some of what Hurts needs to fix as a passer. Balls will often sail on him, his pocket presence leaves a lot to be desired, and he doesn’t always work through his progressions.

Having said that, his accuracy and playmaking out of structure are both exceptional. Pederson’s offense didn’t get Wentz on the move much, nor did it challenge teams deep down the field. While some of that is due to the uncommon number of injuries on the offensive line, Pederson needs to change things up for Hurts. If Pederson asks Hurts to do things that he isn’t amazing with at this juncture, that could be a major anchor on his momentum heading into 2021.

No matter how well Hurts plays, Philly needs to find some way to get rid of Wentz’s contract, as trading him just a few days after the new league year could force them to take on over $30 million in dead cap, a move that, ironically, will help them avoid even more dead cap that they could accrue from a straight-up release. If they are sold on Hurts and make this move, that clears a path for Hurts to take the starting job.

The Eagles need to find someone to take Wentz’s laughable contract and absorb as minimal a blow as possible. If they’re able to do that, and Pederson tailors the offense to what Hurts does well, namely going deep and using his legs, he could show enough in these last four games to earn the QB1 job next year.