New Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni says that he will not automatically anoint Jalen Hurts as the team’s starting quarterback. Instead, as James Palmer of the NFL Network tweets, Sirianni plans to hold an open competition for the starting job.
At present, the only other QB on the roster is veteran Joe Flacco, whom Philadelphia signed to a one-year, $3.5MM deal last month. Flacco has enjoyed plenty of success in his lengthy career, highlighted by a Super Bowl MVP award, but he has dealt with injuries in recent seasons and has not been a full-time starter since the first half of the 2018 campaign. Hurts, meanwhile, is entering his second season in the league, and while there are still questions about his long-term viability, his brief audition in 2020 had its share of promising moments.
Barring a complete disaster, Sirianni’s job won’t be on the line in 2021, so he shouldn’t feel any pressure to lean on the more experienced hand over a high-upside talent like Hurts. And considering owner Jeffrey Lurie‘s recent comments that he wants his club to build around the second-year pro, it would be very surprising to see anyone other than Hurts under center on Week 1. Perhaps the rookie HC is simply honing his coach-speak skills.
Of course, Sirianni’s alleged plans for a QB competition immediately spurred speculation that the team could take a quarterback with its first-round choice in next week’s draft. But if the Eagles were going to do that, they probably wouldn’t have traded down from the No. 6 overall pick to No. 12. By the time they are on the clock with the No. 12 selection, all five top QB prospects could be gone.
A recent report suggested that Philadelphia could be eyeing a move back into the top-10, but that same report indicated that the team is also interested in another trade down. Further, if the Eagles were to move back up the board, it might not be for a QB at all, but for a cornerback or wide receiver.
At this point, unless Hurts should suffer an injury or spectacularly underperform during training camp, he still looks like the odds-on favorite to be the Eagles’ starting QB, Sirianni’s “open competition” remarks notwithstanding.
it’s a “competition,” not a competition.
I may be wrong, but isn’t the entire point to sports– let alone pro sorts–competition? This is why I think Wentz won’t do much in Indy, he feared losing QB1 status.
Wentz shoulders some of the blame, but that’s not all on him. You’re supposed to be competing against the opposition. When you take a QB that high in a tough media and fan market, you add a lot of extra unnecessary pressure. One bad game and your job is being called for.
Sirianni cannot be serious. The fact that Flacco is being considered as a starter in 2021 just shows the ineptitude of the Eagles organization.
He’s probably just trying to motivate Hurts.
Not sure Hurts is that stupid though to buy into that for one second. Flacco? Just traded their once ‘franchise’ QB because of his play and a clear path to take over?
Could be sayin that so a team behind them jumps infront to take one of the top 5 quarterbacks and push a player they want 1 pick further down the board, if the eagles started joe flacco week 1, it would make me question every single thing I’ve ever learned/know about sports
Super Bowl champ Flacco.. just like Super Bowl Foles.. sometimes the best QB for the system isn’t the guy with the most talent
What was the goal of making this statement?
How can front offices consistently find new ways to make the same gross mismanagement brain farts?
Anyone who’s played a team sport knows you’re competing for your spot every snap/pitch … if you need a fire lit under you then not only should you find something else to do but the decisionmakers shouldn’t have parted with your predecessor
ijs
i “hope” this is b/c they learned their lesson with wentz
Is this part of his rock, paper, scissor talent evaluation method?
beat me to it
Only one other way to explain it: Uno Reverse Card
How in the world does flacco get 3.5mil? Is that the vet min for him?
Does a QB competition in Philly mean we haven’t seen the last of Mark Sanchez and Sam Bradford?
Lol, when you have gone through the QB bust parade that Wash has had, then I’ll feel sorry for ya
Alex Smith chose retirement over being in the Eagles QB room.
The Flacco acquisition sends up major red flags in terms of this team’s thinking process.
Old, slow-footed, and injury-prone QBs have no business being on a rebuilding team, as the only thing they are capable of competing for is a spot on the trainer’s table.