Jalen Hurts Is Viable Dark Horse MVP Option as Teammates Praise Offseason Leadership

It’s always sunny in Philadelphia and the future for the Philadelphia Eagles this season is extremely bright. Miles Sanders said that it feels like he’s playing on an “All-Star team.”

While some Eagles fans – me – hear that and get PTSD of Vince Young calling a soon-to-be 8-8 squad a “Dream Team,” there’s no denying all the talent Philly has. Of all the potential stars the Eagles have, the one with the most potential is Jalen Hurts. If the Eagles are going to live up to their full potential, they’ll need Jalen Hurts to reach his potential as a quarterback. 

According to Lane Johnson, he’s already acting the part.

“He just carries himself with a lot of poise. I mean, he demands respect,” Johnson said to MJ Acosta-Ruiz of NFL Media. “Just the way he approaches day-to-day activity, how he trains, what he does in the film room. And he’s a great motivator. He’s a great leader.”

Johnson’s assessment of Hurts is just the thing you’d want to hear about a quarterback going into a make or break year. Hurts’ growth as a leader will translate to the field, which makes him one of my favorite dark horses to win NFL MVP this year. 

Hurts’ consensus odds to win the award are +3000, which put him outside the top 10. He still has a lot of room to grow to justify winning the MVP, but the numbers he put up last season weren’t bad at all. 

He accounted for 26 touchdowns and just under 4,000 total yards. Now, he’s going to be in a familiar offensive system and has A.J. Brown on the outside to throw to. With Brown and DeVonta Smith as his top two targets, the foundation is there for him to become a better passer. 

On top of his individual performance, the Eagles’ defense will put them in position to be one of the better teams in the NFL. Five years ago, Carson Wentz had an MVP-caliber year under similar circumstances. Jalen Hurts could have the type of season that rivals Wentz’s, except he might win the award this time. 

You can find Donnavan Smoot’s full betting record here.