Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is garnering a lot of attention this season for his level of play. He is a driving force behind the team’s success, as the Eagles are a league-best 12-1 on the season and have shown no signs of slowing down any time soon. Many believe Hurts may be the MVP front-runner, but one player that doesn’t agree is Dallas Cowboys’ star Micah Parsons.
Philadelphia is great on both sides of the ball as they are first in the league in points scored and third in yardage. On defense, they are seventh in points allowed and second in yardage. The only area they have shown any struggles in this season is stopping the run, but bringing in veterans Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh, combined with first-round pick Jordan Davis getting healthy, means that will hopefully start turning around.
Given the team’s success this season, it should be no surprise that Hurts finds himself involved in the MVP discussion. He isn’t far behind Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs in the odds, and rightfully so. The MVP award seems to always lean toward quarterbacks and when you are the one leading the team with the best record, you will get recognized for it.
However, some people aren’t sure about his credentials. One of those players is Micah Parsons, a linebacker for the rival Dallas Cowboys. They will be adding another chapter to their rivalry in Week 16, but Parsons wasn’t waiting until game week to toss some salvos at Hurts, questioning whether or not he deserves the MVP award.
Hurts and the Eagles likely didn’t need any more motivation or bulletin board material, but Parsons certainly provided them with some. Parsons and the Dallas defense saw firsthand what the Philadelphia offense was capable of when they won 26-17 in Week 6. In that game, Hurts completed 60 percent of his passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns, adding nine carries for 27 yards.
For the season, Hurts has completed 68 percent of his passes for 3,157 yards and 22 touchdowns compared to only three interceptions. He has the lowest interception percentage in the league at 0.8 and the highest quarterback rating at 108.4.
Hurts is a true dual threat, as he has been very productive on the ground as well. He has carried the ball 139 times for 686 yards and 10 touchdowns, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to record back-to-back double-digit rushing touchdown seasons.
While Parsons may not believe Jalen Hurts is a legitimate MVP candidate, the numbers speak for themselves. Hurts is playing at a high level and the Eagles are a contending team, which is a good recipe for taking home some hardware at the end of the season.
