Reports of Jalen Hurts' 'rigid preferences,' unwillingness to adjust set up a critical 2026 for Eagles QB

Hurts will have to change his approach to Philly's offense this year

To say the Philadelphia Eagles' mission to defend their Super Bowl rings came up short in 2025 is an understatement. While the Eagles clinched the NFC East for the second consecutive season, the offense massively regressed as the banged-up San Francisco 49ers quickly ousted them from the playoffs in front of a Philly crowd.

That playoff loss was a microcosm of the Eagles' season at large. The offense scored a total of six points on its final seven drives while recording 3.3 yards per play and four punts. Star wide receiver A.J. Brown caught three passes for 25 yards -- all of which came in the first quarter -- while quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 20 of 35 passes for 168 yards and one touchdown. He did not complete a single pass for 15+ air yards.

The Eagles' offense in 2025 was the worst of the Nick Sirianni era, as Philly averaged 22.3 points per game (19th in the NFL), 311.2 total yards per game (24th) and 116.9 rushing yards per game (18th). Running back Saquon Barkley did not look like the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, rushing for 865 fewer yards and six fewer touchdowns in the same number of games, while Brown's 1,003 yards receiving were his fewest since joining the Eagles in 2022. Then, there was the quarterback play.

Hurts' 7.1 yards per attempt in 2025 marked a career low, and his 64.8% completion percentage was his worst mark in four years. The reigning Super Bowl MVP became the only quarterback in the past 45 seasons to go 0 of 7 passing (or worse) in the second half of a game TWICE in a single season. The dual-threat athlete also set a career low in carries with 105, and rushed for 421 yards, which were his fewest since Hurts' first season as a full-time starter in 2021.

This all led to the firing of offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, meaning Hurts will have yet another offensive play-caller in 2026. It's a common theme for him, as Hurts has never had the same play-caller in his 11 seasons of college football/professional football. The 2026 season is a crossroads for Hurts in more ways than one. Hurts has had a hand in the Eagles' offense becoming "calcified," as reported in a recent long-form piece from ESPN. This year, the quarterback will aim to recapture that superstar status, which will require changes from him both on and off the field. 

Hurts' reported unwillingness to adjust 

The best NFL teams are able to adjust. Not only with in-game strategy, but also with their offensive philosophy at large. Hurts reportedly has "rigid preferences" that inhibited the evolution of Philly's offense. 

ESPN reports that Hurts pushed back on changes the coaching staff attempted to employ, such as going under center more. In fact, playing under center is something Hurts "continually fights" inside the building, as he doesn't want to turn his back to the defense. Hurts has also changed play calls to what some feel like is "an excessive degree."

Hurts pushing back against the coaching staff was not just a problem during the brief Patullo era. ESPN's sources described the relationship between Hurts and former Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as "tense" at times. In 2024, Moore tried to implement new offensive concepts such as motions and shifts that Hurts was slow to embrace. Even if Hurts did experiment with these wrinkles, he was quick to abandon them if he wanted to.

"Poor body language, not always bought in, not the most coachable and the players notice," a team source told ESPN. 

Frustrations from the wide receivers 

Star wideout A.J. Brown could not help himself from criticizing the Eagles offense. In the middle of the season on a live stream, he described the campaign as a "shitshow," and encouraged fantasy football owners to get rid of him. What was surprising is that Brown didn't come close to apologizing for these remarks when asked about them by reporters. 

"I think that's fair," Brown said of his comments. "I think if you got eyes you can see that. The same things I've been saying like all season. So me, making light of my situation on Twitch with my friend, that's something I'm not apologizing for. You know? Because like I said, if you got eyes, you could see that. Shoot, that's me trying to like laugh through my situation."

Brown also specifically pushed for his offense to evolve and "adapt," saying that just because the Eagles were winning more games than they were losing did not mean all was well. 

"I think if we're really focused on winning and doing our job, we can't just keep slapping a band-aid over the defense doing their job and getting us out of trouble," Brown said. "At what point are we going to pick up our slack as an offense? We're so great, and that's what I'm getting at. It's not about I don't care about winning or all I care about is stats. No. It's been week after week sometimes, we're not doing our job on offense. So you can't just keep slapping a band-aid over that and you expect to win late in the year ... it's not going to happen. 

"Last year, what it was, thank you for the ring, but it's a new season. They adapted, we have to adapt and we have to continue to get better and try to find new ways. That's where the frustration comes in. It's not about winning, you guys. I want to win, yes. I want to help contribute as well, do our thing on offense as well. I think that's fair." 

Brown and Hurts were once considered best friends, but that almost doesn't feel like the case anymore. From ESPN: 

"There were few public interactions between them early in the '25 season. There were even times when the two would connect for a touchdown and not seek each other out afterward. Earlier in their time together, it would not be uncommon to see Brown and Hurts engaged in long conversations in the locker room postgame during media availability. As time went on, it was rare to see them interact in those types of public settings.

"There is a difference, a source with knowledge of their relationship said, between being friends with someone and being teammates, especially when referencing two alphas in a pressurized environment with different approaches to the goal of achieving high-end success.

"'You might want to win, but your way might be different than mine,' the source said. "'[Your stars] have to be on the same page and I don't think they always were."'

Brown's name is involved in trade rumors recently, and will continue to be throughout this offseason.

The Eagles' No. 2 wideout, DeVonta Smith, reportedly had his own frustrations with the offense in 2025. He reportedly lamented the lack of "layup plays" in the offense. 

"Every catch, every play is grind-it-out, the receivers have to win," the source said.

How Hurts will be asked to adapt

The Eagles went through a highly-publicized offensive coordinator search, but they didn't land a big fish like Mike McDaniel or Brian Daboll. It's Sean Mannion who will be the Eagles' new play-caller in 2026.

Mannion is a former NFL quarterback who was a third-round pick back in 2015, and is a 33-year-old assistant who has been coaching for just two years. He most recently served as the quarterbacks coach for the Green Bay Packers, and has never called plays. An ESPN source close to Hurts said the quarterback needs coaches who will "check him," and go against the "yes people" around him. That will be part of Mannion's job. 

What's fascinating about the Mannion fit is that he will reportedly be implementing a system that resembles what Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan run. That means more elements of motion and play-action from under center, which Hurts has previously been uncomfortable with. 

A team source told ESPN that Hurts is "as open as he's ever been" to changes, which is good because he needs to be. Hurts will be called upon to be more of a processor in this new scheme, and could be leading a passing attack that does not include Brown.

It's clear that Hurts possesses the talent necessary to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. You don't make three Pro Bowls, net a $255 million extension and win Super Bowl MVP by being a bum. But Hurts is entering a critical time where he's going to have to change his approach to quarterback.