5 NFL quarterbacks that have a lot to prove in 2021

4. Jalen Hurts

The drama in the Philadelphia Eagles‘ quarterback room wasn’t a secret, and Jalen Hurts was right in the middle of it. He was drafted in the second round in 2020, which brought questions into if the Eagles still want Carson Wentz at quarterback. Wentz proceeded to have his awful year, and Hurts became the starter.

When Hurts was the starter, he played fairly well. His mobility added another dimension to Philly’s offense, and the team seemed more energized when he was on the field.

The Eagles felt confident enough in what they saw from Hurts to trade Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts. The starting job is Hurts’ to lose, but there’s a lot of pressure that comes with being the signal-caller in Philly. Not only must he prove that it was worth trading Wentz, but he must also prove that he is a consistently accurate quarterback.

The running game was a huge plus for the Oklahoma product, showcasing his agility and power in his first starts. He ran for 272 yards and three touchdowns in that span. But his passing left more to be desired, completing just 52 percent of his passes last year. He never crossed the 60 percent completion threshold in any of his starts last season. Accuracy is the name of the game at quarterback, and Hurts must sharpen that part of his game.

Jalen Hurts showed glimpses of his NFL potential during his debut campaign in 2020. However, the pressure is already on to produce in Philly. After getting rid of a former MVP candidate and a $128 million quarterback, Hurts needs to make sure owner Jeffrey Lurie and the Eagles front office don’t look bad. He must also prove to the Philly faithful that he won’t be a repeat of No. 11’s tenure in the city of brotherly love.