Jalen Hurts Gets Destroyed in April and Nobody Should Buy the Anonymous Hit Job

It's April, which means the NFL news cycle is dead. So ESPN's Tim McManus dusted off what was probably written months ago and dropped a Jalen Hurts hit piece on one of the nicest days of the year. Classic timing.

According to several anonymous team sources who spoke to ESPN on condition of anonymity, Hurts has supposedly had a hand in the offense becoming calcified. He's pushed back on changes that would diversify the scheme, including going under center more. He's shown reluctance to let it rip against zone coverage. He diverts from the game plan and changes playcalls to what some feel is an excessive degree. And here's the killer: "Poor body language, not always bought in, not the most coachable and the players notice," one source said.

The Coachability Question Doesn't Hold Up

Let's pump the brakes on this "not coachable" narrative. Hurts played for Nick Saban. He played for Brian Daboll. He played for Lincoln Riley. He had success with some legitimately great coaches. You're telling me he was suddenly uncoachable under Kevin Patullo? That's not an indictment of Hurts. That's an indictment of the coaching staff.

Maybe Hurts just isn't going to blindly trust a coordinator who hasn't earned that trust yet. Get someone in the building who actually deserves that confidence, and you'll probably see a different quarterback. The guy wants to win more than anything. That's not a character flaw. That's who he is.

Anonymous Sources Are Basically Worthless

Here's the real problem with this story: what exactly is a "team source"? Some locker room attendant? A physical therapist? An assistant coach who knows he's getting fired and wants to get in good with ESPN? Anonymous sources are the worst because they could be the most useless person in the building, but once a journalist slaps "sources said" on it, everyone treats it like fact.

Hurts' body language might seem cold, but plenty of greats have that same demeanor. His job is to be the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, not to be a cheerleader. That's a feature, not a bug.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.