๐Ÿคฏ The UNFAIR Truth Behind the Jalen Hurts Backlash โ€“ Why the NFL Can’t Stop Criticizing Him ๐Ÿ˜ค๐Ÿ“‰

 

At first glance, Jalen Hurts is everything the NFL claims to value: poised, disciplined, humble, and outrageously talented.

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Heโ€™s a dual-threat quarterback who refuses to break under pressure, a leader who commands a locker room with quiet intensity, and a young man whoโ€™s consistently avoided scandal, arrogance, and entitlement in an era when those traits are practically normalized.

And yet, heโ€™s one of the most polarizing quarterbacks in the modern game.

So what gives?

To understand the deep-seated criticism and outright hate Jalen Hurts receives from a loud segment of NFL fans and analysts, you have to look beyond the statsโ€”and even beyond the game.

This isnโ€™t just about football.

Itโ€™s about perception, power, and the uncomfortable reality of what it means to defy expectations too early, too loudly, and too confidently.

Letโ€™s start with the facts: Jalen Hurts has done everything right.

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After a high-profile college careerโ€”where he was benched at Alabama despite an incredible record, then resurrected his trajectory at Oklahomaโ€”Hurts entered the NFL with a chip on his shoulder and a rรฉsumรฉ built on resilience.

Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round in 2020, many viewed him as a backup, maybe even a gimmick quarterback.

He wasnโ€™t supposed to challenge Carson Wentz.

He wasnโ€™t supposed to take the reins of a historic franchise.

He definitely wasnโ€™t supposed to lead them to the Super Bowl.

But he did.

In 2022, Hurts finished the season with MVP-level performances, racking up over 4,400 total yards and 35 touchdowns.

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He led the Eagles to a 14-3 record and nearly pulled off a Super Bowl win with one of the most composed performances ever seen in that high-stakes arena.

And yet, the next morning?

Critics tore him apart.

The whispers started: โ€œHeโ€™s not a real passer.โ€œHeโ€™s only good because of the system.โ€œHe relies on his legs too much.โ€œHeโ€™s surrounded by too much talentโ€”put him on another team and heโ€™s average.

Sound familiar?

Because this is the same tired narrative recycled every time a Black quarterback rises through the ranks.

Hurts, like Lamar Jackson and Cam Newton before him, has faced a uniquely coded form of criticismโ€”where poise is labeled โ€œrobotic,โ€ where emotion is labeled โ€œimmature,โ€ and where physical ability is somehow used against him.

Eagles' Jalen Hurts the 'most overrated player in football,' ex-NFL QB says  | Fox News

Despite finishing multiple seasons with elite efficiency ratings, despite consistently improving his mechanics, and despite earning respect from coaches, players, and legends of the game, Hurts remains boxed in by doubters who refuse to give him full credit.

And hereโ€™s where it gets worse: Hurts doesnโ€™t give them the drama they want.

He doesnโ€™t lash out on Twitter.

He doesnโ€™t whine in interviews.

He doesnโ€™t feed the media machine.

Heโ€™s calm, corporate, calculated.

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And to some, that makes him unrelatable.

To others? It makes him threatening.

Jalen Hurts is a quiet revolution in a league still uncomfortably tethered to old-world expectations of what a โ€œfranchise quarterbackโ€ is supposed to look like.

Heโ€™s not Tom Brady.

Heโ€™s not Peyton Manning.

Heโ€™s not interested in the spotlight.

And he refuses to fit the stereotype of the loud, cocky, overly emotional young QB.

Heโ€™s disciplined.

Distant.

And dominant.

That should be celebrated.

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But for some, itโ€™s unsettling.

Take a scroll through social media after any Eagles gameโ€”especially one they loseโ€”and the knives come out instantly.

Thereโ€™s rarely nuance.

Thereโ€™s rarely thoughtful critique.

Itโ€™s either โ€œJalen Hurts canโ€™t throwโ€ or โ€œheโ€™s overrated,โ€ despite the numbers telling a very different story.

Even his historic Super Bowl performanceโ€”where he set records for rushing touchdowns by a quarterbackโ€”was overshadowed by an unfortunate fumble and a last-minute loss.

He was too good to be ignored, yet somehow still too disliked to be fully embraced.

And itโ€™s not just fans.

Several prominent NFL analysts have made careers off downplaying Hurts’ success.

They point to the Eaglesโ€™ offensive line, the playmakers around him, the coaching schemeโ€”as if every great quarterback didnโ€™t benefit from a solid supporting cast.

When Josh Allen or Justin Herbert plays well, theyโ€™re praised for their โ€œarm talent.

โ€ When Hurts does, itโ€™s โ€œthe system.

โ€

The inconsistency is glaring.

But through it all, Hurts remains unmoved.

And perhaps that, more than anything, is what fuels the hate: he doesnโ€™t care.

He doesnโ€™t respond.

He just works.

Itโ€™s the ultimate power move.

And it terrifies those who canโ€™t control the narrative.

In many ways, Hurts represents a new era of the NFLโ€”where leadership is quiet, success is earned, and greatness isnโ€™t always loud.

But the hate he receives? Thatโ€™s a remnant of an old mindset desperately clinging to outdated ideals.

So why is Jalen Hurts so hated?

Because he refuses to give critics what they want.

Because he challenges every lazy stereotype about what greatness looks like.

Because heโ€™s already a franchise legendโ€”and he hasnโ€™t even peaked yet.

And deep down, those who doubt him know one uncomfortable truth:

They wonโ€™t be able to stop him.

Not now.

Not ever.