PHILADELPHIA— Whether he expected it or not, Nick Sirianni didn’t hold back when asked about the criticism of his fifth-year quarterback, Jalen Hurts.
“I think that’s trash,” Sirianni responded when asked if Hurts was just along for the ride with the Eagles’ talented roster on their way to Super Bowl LIX, where they beat the Kansas City Chiefs.
Less than six months earlier, most considered the Eagles the best in football—despite losing key players like Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Darius Slay, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Mekhi Becton—highlighting just how stacked their roster was. This talent turned the Chiefs’ dynasty hype into questions about Kansas City’s decline after a dominant 60-minute performance on Super Bowl Sunday.
Sirianni, a firm believer in the team-centric nature of football, reiterated this stance amid ongoing debates about Hurts’ greatness:
“Anytime I hear that, it’s just a debate people like to have. I get it, but football is the ultimate team game, and [Hurts] does everything he needs to win every game,” he told reporters this spring, including Eagles on SI.
“Whenever I hear that, it’s just a debate people love to have—I get it. TV shows and radio stations need content, so I understand the conversation,” Sirianni told a small group of reporters this spring, including Eagles on SI. “But at the end of the day, football is the ultimate team sport, and [Hurts] does whatever it takes to win every single game.”
That’s the challenge Sirianni has thrown at Hurts’ critics before.
“You tell me a team that wins consistently without good players around them,” Sirianni said. “And I’ll tell you a coach who wins without great players either. The interesting part is that Hurts and I have won at a level rarely seen in Philadelphia or the NFL, yet both often get underestimated.”
While Hurts isn’t usually mentioned in the same breath as Mahomes, MVP Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or Joe Burrow, Sirianni’s coaching often sits behind names like Reid, McVay, Payton, and Harbaugh. Many believe the Eagles “should” win because of their star power.
But Sirianni points out, “Wins and losses aren’t a QB or coaching stat.” Still, with his .706 winning percentage in the Super Bowl era and Hurts’ 52-23 record as starter, those numbers matter—especially when Hurts is doing “whatever it takes to win.”
“I mean, he plays the most important position in all of sports,” Sirianni said. “What I admire is his selflessness—he’ll do anything to win, whether that’s throwing 50 times or handing it off 50 times.”
This highlights the core of Hurts and the Eagles: critics want him to throw more consistently, but if his selflessness turns into personal stat-chasing, the winning could suffer. The real goal, Sirianni suggests, is teamwork.
“You don’t win with bad players,” Sirianni explained. “Football is a team sport, and it takes everyone. Great quarterbacks always have great receivers and defenses behind them. Think of Brady with Gronk, Mahomes with Kelce, or Steve Young with Jerry Rice—and the list goes on.”
And with that, Sirianni wrapped up with a blunt admission:
“Honestly? My initial reaction to Hurts being along for the ride was—it’s bull@#$%.”
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