Everyone associated with the Eagles seems to understand that Jalen Hurts needs a strong supporting cast if he's going to be successful over the long haul. But his ugly play against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday shows he might be more dependent on his supporting cast than even the most critical Philadelphia fan might have thought.
Saquon Barkley went out of action early in the game against Tennessee with a stinger. The Eagles still managed to make their way into the red zone and seemed poised to take the lead against the lowly Titans ... until Hurts killed the drive with an ugly interception that was returned all the way back to the opposing 10-yard line by Amani Hooker.
Brutal INT for Jalen Hurts here. Yeesh pic.twitter.com/r90V3uo3Bb
— lindsey ok (@lindseyyok) September 20, 2026
The pick seemed to be a result of Hurts not seeing the defensive back, but his lack of velocity on the football also played a big role in the ugly turnover. The veteran signal-caller's inability to drive the ball down the field continues to limit the options available to his offensive play-callers — especially in obvious passing situations, like on the play above. Hurts can still hurt opposing defenses with his legs, but the team is understandably concerned about exposing him to too many hits this early in the season.
Hurts is always going to be overextended if you ask too much of him as a passer, whether because of injury to Barkley or this aging offensive line. His struggles will only increase questions about his long-term hold on the team's starting quarterback position. There were murmurs of the franchise's discontent with him in the offseason, but replacing him never seemed to be a real conversation for the Eagles' front office.
Could the Eagles bench Jalen Hurts this season?
The Eagles do have two potential replacements for Hurts on the current roster. Veteran Andy Dalton is the current No. 2 on the depth chart, but he lacks any real upside due to his advanced age. At best, Dalton can be a stop gap to buy Hurts time to recenter if his confidence takes too big of a dip due to poor play.
The more intriguing choice for the Eagles would be to finally give Tanner McKee a chance to entrench himself as the franchise quarterback. Bringing in Dalton as the backup was hardly a vote of confidence for the former fourth-round pick, but he might be a more natural stylistic fit for the way Philly wants their offense to operate. He does not possess the mobility that helps Hurts succeed, but he does have a bigger arm that might unlock Sean Mannion's medium and deep passing game.
One interception will not cause Philadelphia to lose all faith in Hurts, but the costly pick against the Titans is representative of the team's concerns with him as their long-term starter. He cannot lead them on a deep playoff push without surrounding stars like Barkley covering up for his deficiencies. That's a precarious balance to achieve for a team that fancies themselves as Super Bowl contenders.
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