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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 11: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles hands the ball off to Saquon Barkley #26 during the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
There is a growing assumption around the Philadelphia Eagles that Jalen Hurts needs stability at offensive coordinator to reach his ceiling. On paper, that makes sense. Quarterbacks usually benefit from continuity, shared language, and a long runway with the same play caller. There’s also a growing consensus that a dynamic, experienced offensive coordinator is needed to unlock a very talented offensive roster.
But Hurts’ career suggests something different.
He has never had coordinator continuity or innovative concepts at his disposal. Not in college or in the NFL and yet, he has consistently won at the highest levels when one condition is met:
An elite run game.
The One Constant in Hurts’ Success
From Alabama to Oklahoma to Philadelphia, Hurts has operated in offenses with constant schematic turnover. Different coordinators, different philosophies and different systems have defined his career and to his credit he has adapted to everyone who’s ever uttered a word into his helmet. The continuity people are searching for something that has never actually existed.
What has existed is a reliable pattern. When Hurts’ teams field a top tier rushing offense, they win big. When they do not, the margins tighten, the passing attack suffers and the results decline.
At Alabama, when his teams finished #1 or #2 in the SEC in rushing, they reached the National Title game. In 2019 after transfering to Oklahoma, the Sooners finished first in the Big 12 in rushing and Hurts’ team reached the College Football Playoff Semifinals in his first and only season in Norman.
In his five seasons as the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, the pattern is even clearer.
| Year | School | Comp % | Pass Yds | Pass TD/INT | Rush Yds | Team Rush Rank | Record | Offensive Coordinator | Postseason |
| 2016 | Alabama | 62.8 | 2,780 | 23/9 | 954 | 2nd SEC | 14–1 | Kiffin / Sarkisian | Title Game Loss |
| 2017 | Alabama | 60.4 | 2,081 | 17/1 | 855 | 3rd SEC | 13–1 | Brian Daboll | National Champions |
| 2018 |
Alabama *Hurts was back-up to Tua |
72.9 | 765 | 8/2 | 167 | 7th SEC | 14–1 | Mike Locksley | Title Game Loss |
| 2019 |
Oklahoma *Heisman Finalist |
69.7 | 3,851 | 32/8 | 1,298 | 1st Big 12 | 12–2 | Lincoln Riley | CFP Semifinal |
| Year | Comp % | Pass Yds | Pass TD/INT | Rush Yds | Team Rush Rank | Record | Offensive Coordinator | Playoffs |
| 2021 | 61.3 | 3,144 | 16/9 | 784 | 1st NFL | 8–7 | Shane Steichen | Wild Card Loss |
| 2022 | 66.5 | 3,701 | 22/6 | 760 | 4th NFL | 14–1 | Shane Steichen | Super Bowl Loss |
| 2023 | 65.4 | 3,858 | 23/15 | 605 | 9th NFL | 11–6 | Brian Johnson | Wild Card Loss |
| 2024 | 68.7 | 2,903 | 18/5 | 630 | 2nd NFL | 12–3 | Kellen Moore | Super Bowl Champions (MVP) |
| 2025 | 64.8 | 3,224 | 25/6 | 421 | 16th NFL | 11–6 | Kevin Patullo | Wild Card Loss |
When Hurts became the Eagles full time starter in 2021, Philadelphia finished first in the NFL in rushing and reached the postseason. If you recall they began that season 2-5 but after game seven, a demoralizing loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, head coach Nick Sirianni turned over the play-calling duties to his offensive coordinator, Shane Steichen, so he could focus more on managing his head coaching responsibilties and game day duties. The move initiated a significant, run-heavy transformation of the offense and the Eagles went 7-3 the rest of the way earning a playoff berth, a Wildcard Round game with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In 2022, with the run game still elite, finishing #4 in the league, the Eagles went 14–3 and reached the Super Bowl and some still say it was Hurts’ finest season as a pro. Two years later, after acquiring Saquon Barkley in the free agent market, the Eagles finished #2 in the league in rushing and won Super Bowl 59 with Hurts being named Super Bowl MVP. This past season Philly finished #16 in the NFL running the ball and the regular season and playoff results speak for themselves.
Nine different coordinators all told for Jalen Hurts in nine football seasons. Same results.
Why the Run Game Changes Everything for Hurts
Hurts does not need an offense that asks him to be the entire solution. He needs one that lets him be the amplifier.
A strong running game does three critical things for the Birds’ QB1.
- It controls down and distance, which keeps him out of obvious passing situations.
2. It simplifies coverage looks, which allows him to attack with decisiveness rather than anticipation.
3. It reduces volume stress, which keeps his efficiency high and his mistakes low.
In that environment, Hurts does not need to be perfect. He needs to be efficient, physical, and opportunistic. That is where he thrives.
When the run game slips, the offense asks him to do more than his profile demands. The passing volume increases, the windows tighten, and the offense becomes harder than it needs to be.
That is not a coordinator problem. That is an identity problem.
What This Means for the OC Search
If this reading is correct, the Eagles are asking the wrong primary question.
The question is not whether the next offensive coordinator can reinvent Hurts and the passing game. It is whether he will protect the rushing identity that has consistently unlocked Hurts’ best football.
Hurts has already proven he can function under multiple play callers. What he has not proven, and has rarely been asked to do, is carry an offense that is run-game optional.
That suggests a different hiring priority. The Eagles do not need the most creative coordinator. They do not need the most modern passing designer. They do not need the next head coach in waiting. They need someone who understands that the run game is not a complement to Hurts’ passing. It is the foundation of it.
Clarity Over Continuity
Hurts’ career does not argue for coordinator continuity. It argues for philosophical clarity.
Every time his teams commit to and are able to execute a dominant rushing attack, the offense stabilizes, the passing game becomes efficient, the turnovers drop and the wins follow. Every time that commitment wavers, the offense presses, falls behind schedule and the margis for error diminish.
So maybe the answer is simpler than it sounds and perhaps it’s why the Eagles aren’t panicking but the rest of Eagles Nation is.