“The best leader I’ve ever been around” is how Eagles wide receiver Jalen Hurts describes himself.
Here we are in Philadelphia. Essentially, the City of Brotherly Love’s official pastime is assigning blame.
In light of the Eagles’ dramatic fall, which saw them go from a 10-1 powerhouse to a 1-6 record and a first-round playoff loss, it makes sense that the highest-paid football player in the city’s history is under investigation.
Jalen Hurts did not perform as well on the field in 2023 as he did in 2022.
That is an undeniable truth.
It’s debatable if this is the result of defenses adapting correctly, persistent injuries, or a complete collapse. But was the team’s dismal performance also a result of his leadership in the locker room?
Though opinions of Hurts’ leadership style have been expressed on talk radio and in local blogs, it is impossible to tell for sure unless you spend every day in the NovaCare Complex with the player.
Additionally, this week, a wide-receiver Britain Covey statement came under criticism.
As reported by Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the backup wideout and punt returner stated the following:
“I’ve previously played for coaches who, despite their claims to have an open door policy and an open door, are actually scary.
And I believe Jalen is comparable to that in that he has an open-door policy, but occasionally his attitude can be a little frightening if you’re a young player and haven’t spent enough time with him. [Questioner]
Barrett Brooks and other local pundits misconstrued the quote.
In the video below, he effectively misquotes Covey to imply that Hurts was an unapproachable leader.
Naturally, it isn’t what Covey intended to convey.
Additionally, in an almost unheard-of display of support for his quarterback, Covey answered the video that we have embedded above immediately.Covey stated in a thread consisting of three tweets:
Normally, I would prefer that people don’t accept everything they read or hear; therefore, I wouldn’t reply to anything like this.
I’ve never seen a better leader than Jalen. so that you hear it directly from me and not from a third party.
I never claimed to be afraid of him or to be inaccessible to him.
Someone questioned me about Jalen’s “stoic personality,” asking if it made him intimidating or unapproachable.
In response, I essentially said, “I’ve had coaches like that in the past, but Jalen wasn’t like that,” and it became immediately apparent from our conversation how personable he is.
I genuinely don’t understand this story. Jalen is an excellent leader because of his genuineness.
He’ll have lunch with me and the other guys on the team who are ranked “lowest.
“He is a fantastic colleague and friend.
It’s challenging to be less vague than that.
Beat reporter for the Inquirer, McLane, defended the reporting, pointing out that it’s possible that the media has been overly active in seeking narratives or scapegoats for what will essentially be a quiet spell during the pre-free agency NFL offseason.
Even though Hurts is still a young player, the other guys in the locker room obviously respect him.
The Eagles supporters hope that his play will speak for itself as he does, and that will happen next season.
Till then, be ready for what may be an exciting offseason.
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