ESPN report reveals stunning truth on Jalen Hurts' future with Eagles

ESPN report reveals stunning truth on Jalen Hurts' future with Eagles originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

2025 wasn't a pretty year for quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles' offense.

After a magical 2024 season, capped off with a Lombardi Trophy, Philadelphia fell back down to Earth in 2025. Though Nick Sirraini's squad won the NFC East, they were first-round exits in the postseason after losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round at home.

The offense also looked out of sync for most of the season, especially Hurts and the passing attack. Though Hurts still posted a solid touchdown-to-interception ratio (25 to 6), Philadelphia's passing game ranked in the bottom ten in passing yards per game (194.3). The Eagles' offense ranked in the bottom half of the league in points per game (22.3).

As a result, Hurts has been put under a lot of pressure, with many labeling 2026 as the most consequential year of his career, and some even questioning whether Philadelphia would move on from him if he turns in a lackluster season.

AFC exec doesn't rule out Eagles moving on from Hurts in 2027

The Eagles' offense is going to look a bit different in 2026, as DeVonta Smith and rookie Makai Lemon will likely be the top two receivers with A.J. Brown expected to get traded to the New England Patriots this offseason.

New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion also plans to implement more play-action passing and under-center snaps for Hurts, and the veteran signal-caller is reportedly open to these changes.

However, if these changes don't prove fruitful, and 2026 ends up being an uninspiring season for Hurts that leaves more questions than answers, an AFC executive told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN that there is a world where the Eagles move on from their long-time starting quarterback as soon as next offseason.

Hurts I could see," said an AFC exec to Fowler when asked whether Philly could look to move him [Hurts] this offseason [2027] if the offense struggles. "Polarizing player, and as his running ability starts to decline, his value will decline, too. And [Eagles general manager Howie Roseman] will always be proactive with finding solutions.

Hurts has $22 million in 2027 guarantees. The team would take a $2.9 million cap hit if he's traded before June 1 but would save $21.4 million on that year's cap if he's dealt after June 1. "The guarantees make it like a Kyler Murray situation where Philly would have to pay to facilitate a trade," another AFC executive said. The flip side: Hurts can force Philly's hand on a new contract if he thrives. His current deal runs through the 2028 season.

After winning the Super Bowl just two seasons ago, Hurts is under immense pressure to perform in 2026. This will be a career-defining season for the Oklahoma product, so we'll see how he performs.

Speaking of the 2026 season, the full schedule is set to be released Thursday night. Follow along with our schedule release tracker for the Eagles here.