​Every NFL quarterback is expected to complete the routine throws in the ordinary course of a game, and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles is no exception. The basics are familiar: hit the open target, stay on schedule, and execute the play as designed. It’s a core part of the quarterback’s job description. What sets the league’s top quarterbacks apart, though, is what happens after that routine portion of the play concluded. That is precisely the area where Hurts has built his reputation, and it helps explain why a recent Pro Football Focus study triggers thoughtful discussion rather than alarm.
PFF recently examined what it calls “zero-graded” throws—passes that neither help nor hurt a quarterback’s overall grade because they are considered routine plays. The study evaluated how efficiently quarterbacks delivered those expected throws within the framework of their offense. By that measure, Hurts finished near the bottom of the rankings. On the surface, that might raise questions. But when you consider Philadelphia’s offensive approach and Hurts’s role within it, the grade and its reasoning become more comprehensible.
The Eagles have never asked Hurts to be just another quarterback who hands the ball off exactly as drawn on the whiteboard. They want him to run the offense, yes, but they also trust him to recognize when a play needs something more. That discernment is where Hurts consistently distinguishes himself. Whether he’s extending a play with his legs, sliding away from pressure, buying time for his receivers, or forcing defenses to account for him as a runner, Hurts has repeatedly turned ordinary moments into explosive opportunities.
Those who know him—Darius Slay and others among them—believe Hurts will thrive under Sean Mannion’s guidance. And given that, it’s clear why high-pressure moments don’t always fit neatly into a study focused on routine execution. The metric isn’t wrong; it simply captures one facet of quarterback play rather than the entire spectrum. The Eagles grasp this better than anyone because they have consciously built an offense around a quarterback who can add a second dimension once the initial design begins to break down.
Routine football will always be part of playing quarterback in the NFL, and Hurts understands that as well as any signal-caller. But Philadelphia isn’t chasing routine from its franchise quarterback. The Eagles are chasing victories, and they have learned that many of their most impactful plays come when Hurts blends sound decision-making with the instincts and playmaking ability that have prevented him from being defined by the ordinary. This perspective underscores why Hurts operates as more than a mere routine quarterback in Philadelphia’s plans, emphasizing instead a dynamic blend of efficiency, improvisation, and offense-breaking versatility that has become his hallmark.