Trouble in Philly as Pat McAfee Fuels Fire Around Jalen Hurts Controversy

Pat McAfee speculated whether everyone in the Eagles facility unhappy with Jalen Hurts.

Trouble in Philly as Pat McAfee Fuels Fire Around Jalen Hurts Controversy

Jalen Hurts and Pat McAfee inside the circle (Image via IMAGO)

In Short
  • Jalen Hurts faces scrutiny over his leadership and performance despite leading the Eagles to two Super Bowls.
  • Tensions between Hurts and wide receiver AJ Brown have been highlighted, with reports of a fractured locker room atmosphere.
  • Pat McAfee and other analysts have criticized Hurts, while some, like Robert Griffin III, defend him as an underappreciated talent.

Jalen Hurts stands at a very precarious position. Questions about his leadership and abilities as a top quarterback still split the football community, even after he led the Philadelphia Eagles to two Super Bowls and clinched the championship in 2025.

The strain in Hurts’ friendship with wide receiver AJ Brown only makes things worse. To top it off, an anonymous insider has accused the veteran quarterback of fostering an atmosphere of doubt in the locker room.

Pat McAfee discussed the situation on the latest episode of his show on ESPN. Piggbacking on the report, the former punter took a veiled dig at Hurts. He said:

You read that… you start piecing things together. Or maybe this is fresh out of the league meetings. The overall narrative was ‘Hey, there’s a bigger problem here, and it’s not just A.J. Brown opening up books on the sidelines.’ Is everybody unhappy? Is Jalen now the enemy?

McAfee’s reaction comes after someone within the Eagles organization criticized Hurts’ “Poor body language, not always bought in, not the most coachable, and the players notice.“

However, former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III pushed back on the negative narrative. RG3 tweeted:

Jalen Hurts is one of the most under-appreciated winners in the NFL and one of the most disrespected Super Bowl MVPs ever. The Jalen Hurts hit pieces are getting out of hand and ridiculous.

Skip Bayless, a staunch supporter of the Eagles’ rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, is a big admirer of Hurts. When considering which quarterbacks Tom Brady could replace in a hypothetical return to football, Bayless chose Hurts to remain the Eagles’ starter over the seven-time Super Bowl champion.

Will Compton doubled down on his take about Jalen Hurts, with questions being raised about his leadership

The Eagles began the 2025 offseason by letting go of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who took the head coaching position in New Orleans. Rather than hiring a specialist, Nick Sirianni promoted assistant Kevin Patullo to the new offensive coordinator role.

Trouble in Philly Pat McAfee Fuels Fire Around Jalen Hurts Controversy
Jalen Hurts (Image via IMAGO)

From day one, Eagles fans showed discontent with Patullo’s style. By the end, the demand for Patullo’s expulsion reached its peak. Losing in the wild-card round to an injury-filled 49ers team compelled the Eagles brass to fire Patullo.

While Patullo faced the axe, people within the Eagles organization and analysts across the league noticed the rift between Hurts and his receivers, especially Brown. Jeremy Fowler and Tim McManus of ESPN followed up on the subject and published their findings in a recent article. Turns out, there’s fire under the thick cloud of smoke.

Moore switched to a run-heavy offense after the Eagles signed Saquon Barkley. The dependence on the passing game disappeared. Barkley became the Offensive Player of the Year, and the Eagles won the Super Bowl by defeating the Chiefs.

Patullo didn’t alter Moore’s blueprint very much. However, the league found ways to keep Barkley quiet. Not only did Hurts struggle to connect with his receivers, but the supply the Eagles had been getting the previous year was also cut off. The Niners took advantage of it in the playoffs. Fowler and McManus wrote:

The failed play accentuates the crossroads that await Hurts and the Eagles’ coaching staff in 2026. The passing operation has fallen into deep ruts over the past several seasons, forcing the most expensive offensive roster in football to become overly reliant on the success of Saquon Barkley and the ground game. It has been an ongoing source of angst for some internally, most publicly expressed by star receiver A.J. Brown, the subject of trade talks this offseason.

Retired NFL linebacker and frequent Barstool Sports contributor Will Compton reacted to the report on Twitter. He tweeted:

I’m going to restrain from saying “looks like Willy Boy was right” because I hate doing stuff like that. ‘Pig with lipstick,’ ‘They’re a sinking ship,’ ‘Leadership is fractured.’ Arguing with @danorlovsky7 about Jalen, I take NO pride in typing all of this out and giving this headline air.

Hurts signed a five-year contract extension for $255 million ($180 million guaranteed) in 2023. He’s completed two years, and unless a major fallout takes place, he will likely stick around until the end of the deal.

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