Jalen Hurts makes it to the list of most influential people of 2025 over Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen

TIME Magazine has named Jalen Hurts in their list of The 100 Most Influential People of 2025 after his first Super Bowl win.


Jalen Hurts makes it to the list of most influential people of 2025 over Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen

Jalen Hurts (Image via Open Source)

Jalen Hurts has had many highlights in his NFL career, including being a runner-up in the MVP race, a Pro Bowl appearance, a Super Bowl champion, and a Super Bowl MVP winner. The star quarterback has earned another accolade and added another feather to his cap. TIME has named Jalen Hurts one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2025.

It has been a remarkable year for the 26-year-old quarterback both personally and professionally. He proved the critics wrong by showcasing his ability to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to winning a Super Bowl. Jalen Hurts led the Eagles’ offense to a phenomenal season, and in what may pass off as a good script for a Hollywood film, won his first ring by beating a Kansas City Chiefs team on the brink of achieving a three-peat.

Jalen Hurts quickly became the one player that fans across the league admired and respected. In the days leading up to Super Bowl LIX, Philly went on to become the team that fans of all 31 NFL teams except the Chiefs rooted for. He cemented his legacy as one of the best quarterbacks to play for the Eagles franchise with the championship win.

In many ways, Jalen Hurts has rightfully earned his spot on the list of The 100 Most Influential People of 2025. Five-time World Series Champion Derek Jeter heaped praise upon Jalen Hurts by lauding his resilience, consistency, and professionalism.

I admire how great athletes deal with both success and failure. What Jalen Hurts went through in being benched during the 2018 National Championship game would break a lot of people down. But not Jalen; he focused on what he could control and found a new path to success. In the NFL, Jalen didn’t let a Super Bowl defeat in 2023 shake his confidence. He used that loss as motivation and kept a picture of himself walking off the field after losing as his phone lock screen.

Derek Jeter on Jalen Hurts

Jeter holds Hurts in high regard due to his mindset and character. The quarterback has the mentality to continue fighting in the face of adversity.

In 2018, when Hurts played for Nick Saban at Alabama, the Crimson Tide made it to the National Championship. Facing Georgia in the title matchup, Hurts started the game but failed to take off before being benched for Tua Tagovailoa. Shortly after, Jalen Hurts transferred to Oklahoma, where he ended his CFB career. Being benched by the greatest coach in the biggest moment of his career would have been enough to shatter the confidence of any quarterback. But not Jalen Hurts, he did not lose faith in himself.

Jalen Hurts continues to defy the odds on and off the field

Jalen Hurts has quickly become synonymous with making history. From relying on an all-women managerial staff to negotiate his contracts, contributing to the betterment of the local community, and being a gold standard for a franchise quarterback in the NFL, Hurts continues to be a class act on and off the field. He kept the receipts and cashed them in by beating Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl matchup repeat.

When Jalen Hurts revealed why he stays in his modest home even after signing $255 million deal
Jalen Hurts (Image via IMAGO)

Derek Jeter went on to laud Jalen Hurts’ determination, which recently earned him his first ring. “Sometimes people win, then exhale. Jalen is not exhaling. He’s embracing the next challenge. Win or lose, Jalen’s resilience and determination offer all of us something to admire.” Jeter’s words communicate that Jalen Hurts is here to stay at the top. The quarterback deserves all that is coming to him because he has endured a lot.

For years, Hurts kept a photo of himself walking off after Super Bowl LVII’s loss as his lock screen wallpaper. It has to feel surreal for him to replace that with an image of him holding his first Lombardi trophy along with his MVP Award. Jalen Hurts is just getting started, with a stacked offensive roster and great chemistry between them, Philadelphia is going to haunt the NFL for years to come.