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Longtime NFL cornerback Ryan Clark is aghast by the NFL establishment’s recent evaluation of Jalen Hurts.
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The former Pittsburgh Steelers DB, turned ESPN commentator, defended Hurts after the Philadelphia Eagles QB fell to the sixth tier of QBs on the ESPN.com-compiled list.
Hurts landed in “others receiving votes” category and ranked 17th after a disappointing 2025 season where he threw for 3,224 yards but only rushed for 421 yards and eight touchdowns.
ESPN’s Ryan Clark Rushes to Jalen Hurts’ Defense
Hurts fell eight spots from No. 9 on the list compiled by Jeremy Fowler and judged by 70-plus executives, coaches and scouts that was unveiled Monday.
Yet, more alarming to Clark is the fact Hurts cratered to the sixth tier of QBs, particularly given Hurts’ career accomplishments.
“When you are ranking the tiers of the quarterbacks, we’re not just ranking on what a quarterback looked like last year or a quarterback’s skills,” Clark said on “First Take” on Tuesday. “Jalen Hurts is a guy who two times has outplayed Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. Jalen Hurts is a person who was second in MVP voting in [2022].
“In my opinion, when you look at who he is in totality, there is no way he falls to that tier.”
Hurts, of course, had three rushing touchdowns in the Eagles’ 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. He threw for two and ran for one in Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LIX win over Mahomes and the Chiefs.
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Jalen Hurts Hasn’t Played Like a top-10 QB
Clark himself referenced Hurts’ biggest red flag while trying to defend the embattled Eagles quarterback.
“He may not be the passer you want all the time. He may not be the runner you want all the time,” the former Pro Bowl DB said. “But in the biggest moments, he’s played his best football.”
When the Eagles needed him most, in the 2025 wild-card round against the 49ers, he threw for 168 yards and completed only 57.8% of his passes in a 23-19 loss that ended their run toward a second straight Super Bowl.
Sure, Hurts was the MVP runner-up in 2022, and was the award favorite before his shoulder injury cost him the final two regular-season games. Then Hurts was great while leading the Eagles within a whisker of the title win.
But since, he’s been an accurate and above-average quarterback who has not been anywhere near star-caliber despite two Pro Bowl appearances.
Hurts is the 12th-highest paid QB, which is about where he belongs on a list of QBs. He finished 12th, 10th and 20th over the past three seasons in ESPN’s QBR, and Pro-Football Focus gave him the 11th-best QB grade in 2025 (79.2).
Kevin Patullo was the scapegoat for the Eagles’ offensive woes in 2025, and the noise surrounding Hurts has gotten louder. It’s time for the Eagles QB to show the world what he is in 2026.
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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 9:57 AM.