It didn’t take long for the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense to become the focus of negative conversations surrounding the team in 2026. As much as people defend Jalen Hurts for being a winner, what do you make of a quarterback whose relationship with his receivers has become a subject of scrutiny?
Hurts’ fans expected him to take advantage of a Chicago Bears team reeling from the absence of its star quarterback. Those expectations followed his late-game heroics in Week 2, when he completed 70.3% of his passes (26 of 37) for 264 yards and two touchdowns against the Tennessee Titans. Despite throwing two interceptions, Hurts converted crucial third-down plays and wasn’t afraid to take chances through the air.
Jalen Hurts Has Stinker Against Chicago Bears
Wide receiver DeVonta Smith’s face said it all in Monday night’s 27-7 loss to a Chicago Bears team without its star quarterback, Caleb Williams. This one was supposed to be a layup, right? Nobody expected Hurts to throw for just 153 yards and zero touchdowns.
A video posted on X showed Smith sitting on the sidelines and staring into space, appearing not to acknowledge Hurts, who sat beside him on the team’s bench. Philadelphia was down 20-7 early in the fourth quarter. We may not be privy to the private conversations Hurts has with his receivers, but that clip of Smith and Hurts certainly made it look as though there was a wall between them.
It’s nights like these, when Hurts is unable to generate much offense, that his old critics surface to say, “I told you so.”
“You don’t see any Dallas receivers acting like this toward Dak. But yall smooth brains keep saying Hurts is better than Dak,” someone posted.
“Jalen Hurts ain’t a good quarterback let’s be real about it he got his money never been the same quarterback,” one netizen quipped.
“Bc he sucks,” a third Hurts hater commented. “He can’t read defenses if the Eagles had Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Stafford, Purdy, Burrow, Mahomes, Dak, or Bo Nix they would be top 3 every year.”
“I think it hurts the problem.. AJ was right. Hurts strike me as arrogant and like he knows best and does not take any feedback from his receiver.. idk i could be wrong,” one Eagles fan suggested.
“He’s thinking AJ was right this guy can’t throw!” another commented.
Hurts is one of the most scrutinized quarterbacks in the league. His struggles moving the ball at times have also been defended by analysts and media personalities who argue that he is held to a different standard than other quarterbacks. Some have attributed that perceived double standard to race, arguing that Hurts faces additional scrutiny because he is Black.
Philadelphia has developed a winning style with Hurts at the helm. It’s not an explosive offense, but it is tailored to Hurts’ strengths and has helped the Eagles win plenty of games, including a Super Bowl, during his tenure.
One thing you can almost guarantee to see when the Eagles play is a receiver on the sidelines looking unhappy about something, especially when the team is losing. Former Eagles All-Pro receiver A.J. Brown had his share of reported frustrations during his time with Hurts and was eventually traded to the New England Patriots for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
Brown’s departure left more opportunity for other receivers, such as former Heisman winner Smith, who led the Eagles with six catches for 65 yards. But so far, the Eagles appear to be facing some of the same frustrations they have encountered in the past. Games are being won, yet questions about the team’s relationship with its quarterback continue to surface.
So when Hurts has a stinker on prime-time MNF against a Bears team with Case Keenum at the helm, all of those old warts start to come to the surface because winning cures most ills. Losing exposes them.
With the Eagles’ offense ranked 24th overall and 23rd in points per game, the team is experiencing some familiar roadblocks. Any time they lose a game or Hurts doesn’t play well, fans act like the sky is falling, and social media begins to attack the quarterback and compare him to a bunch of other guys who have never even been to a Super Bowl.
It’s a dynamic that plays out every season in Philly like clockwork and becomes a battle of the Hurts haters and Hurts supporters.
So not much has changed with the Eagles this season. They are 2-1 and positioned to make another run at the NFC East title. They will win games ugly and lose even uglier, feeling the wrath of everyone who wants the glitter over the gold. Win or lose, the focus of that energy will be on the $255 million man.
