Should Jalen Hurts be the MVP?

Is This a Jalen Hurts MVP Season?

The Eagles stand atop the rest of the league with the best record currently. Going into the season, expectations were for the Eagles to be among the best. It hasn’t been easy by any means and there have been struggles for both sides of the ball along the way. However, in tandem with the Eagles success, Jalen Hurts currently ranks as the favorite for the NFL MVP Award according to just about every sportsbook. Hurts has had tons of great moments at the helm this year for the Eagles, but there have also been some bad moments too.  There has been some push-back on whether Hurts deserves to be the MVP or not.

Jordan Love Stats:
2599 YDS, 19TD, 10 INT

Jalen Hurts Stats:
2697 YDS, 18TD, 10 INT

The “MVP” has AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith and the best O-line in the NFL. While “He’s not the guy” Love is working with the youngest WR Core in the entire league. pic.twitter.com/nvxRPiTbn3

— Freeze (@freezesports1) November 27, 2023

Objectively, it’s an interesting argument either way. So, let’s break down whether Jalen Hurts deserves to be the front-runner for MVP and whether he should win or not.

League Outlook on the MVP Award

MVP cases can sometimes be hard to gauge. Some players put up unbelievable stats, but they happen to not be on some of the best teams. That most closely resembles C.J. Stroud this year, who is second in the league in passing yards with 22 total touchdowns on the 6-5 Houston Texans. Other arguments that lead to the quarterback with the best touchdown-to-interception ratio, proving a sense of consistent excellence. That would point to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, with 23 passing touchdowns and six interceptions. Others are waiting for the next time the league will stray away from the MVP being a quarterback award, pointing this year to Christian McCaffrey and Tyreek Hill.  But the last and usually loudest argument goes to the quarterback of the best team in the regular season, which right now is Jalen Hurts.

Of the last 10 MVP winners, only two have not been on a team crowned the number one seed.  Those two were Matt Ryan in 2016, and Aaron Rodgers in 2014. Sometimes, there is no clear front-runner for MVP, and historically, it’s then defaulted to the quarterback of the best team in the regular season. If Tyreek Hill were to break the single-season receiving yards record, then he should absolutely be given heavy consideration for the award. But it’s hard to have those conversations before that happens. And as of now, the MVP is a quarterback award, with no real quarterback performing well enough to win it outright.

Jalen Hurts Performances

This season Hurts has thrown for 2,679 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. Tack on another 114 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns albeit with 14 turnovers. He ranks second in total touchdowns this year and has had only two games with a quarterback rating under 87. It’s true that his stats in a vacuum won’t turn any heads, but there’s no doubt that he has been very good throughout the season. With a new offensive coordinator, there have been struggles at times, but whenever the Eagles needed a big play Hurts has been there more than not. Hurts deep ball has been excellent this year and is a big reason why we’ve seen A.J. Brown and especially Devonta Smith shine.

Yes, Hurts is on an incredible team, but there have not been too many MVPs who have not been on incredible teams. His rushing also offers another presence that won’t always show up in the stat sheet. Teams must worry about the quarterback run game, which takes away attention from all the other weapons the Eagles have.  It’s a two-way street where the Eagles roster is phenomenal, and further accentuated by Hurts’ talents. It wouldn’t go down as the most historic MVP season, but which quarterbacks would this year?

Jalen Hurts MVP Chances

Vegas ranks Hurts as the favorite for a reason, because in a weird year for the NFL, Hurts resume matches up the best with previous winners. The next three best odds for MVP at many popular sportsbooks are Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Lamar Jackson. Mahomes and Prescott have better stats than Hurts but not by a wide margin. There’s not enough of a difference to overlook the Eagles success this year with Hurts. While Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are the current one seed of the AFC, his stats and performances are less impressive compared to Hurts. All in all, it’s not the exact MVP season Eagles fans were hoping for Jalen Hurts this season. However, there are no greater candidates up to this point other than Jalen Hurts.

Main Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports