After the Philadelphia Eagles benched Carson Wentz, many wondered if rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts would give the team a spark. By Sunday afternoon, he delivered that spark.
Hurts lead the Eagles to a 24-21 upset win against defeated the New Orleans. Hurts completed 17-of-30 passes for 167 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions and ran for 106 yards on 18 carries.
Hurts became the first quarterback in NFL history to run for 100 yards and throw a touchdown pass in his first NFL start.
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“Jalen got the start this afternoon, and I thought overall, there were some good things and really, kind of gave us a spark as a team that I was looking for, and I think we were looking for as a team,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said, via team transcript. “But you know, this win today is not about one guy. This win is about this team and how resilient this team is.”
Despite Hurts’ inspired performance, Pederson would not announce a starter at quarterback between Hurts and Wentz for the team’s Week 15 game against the Arizona Cardinals.
“I’m going to enjoy this one,” Pederson answered when asked if Hurts would be his starter. “I’m going to go home and relax and be with my family tonight and enjoy this win and get ready for the week.”