​Another year has slipped by, and another offseason has arrived for the Philadelphia Eagles faithful, who are once again facing a familiar refrain: the same questions, the same chatter, the same expectations. Jalen Hurts has spent much of his NFL journey proving critics wrong, a narrative that persisted into the 2026 season. In a recent survey conducted by Jeremy Fowler, which gathered input from NFL executives, coaches, and scouts to rank the league’s top quarterbacks, Hurts did not crack the top 10 but did receive honorable mention, while Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys finished sixth. The result underscores a recurring theme: evaluators continue to debate exactly where Hurts fits among the league’s elite, even as his record and reputation continue to grow.
An AFC offensive coach put the sentiment plainly: that while Hurts has shown ups and downs, the quarterback’s Super Bowl credentials, intangible qualities, and toughness remain the bedrock of belief in him. Hurts has never been the type to win every argument purely with eye-popping passing numbers. His value has always transcended the stat sheet. Leadership, poise, resilience, and the ability to deliver in high-pressure moments have become hallmarks of his career, helping guide Philadelphia to multiple deep playoff runs and establishing him as one of the league’s most accomplished quarterbacks even amid ongoing scrutiny.
Even his supporters acknowledge the road hasn’t always been smooth. Across his career, Hurts has navigated coaching changes, shifting offensive systems, and evolving expectations, yet the Eagles have consistently remained NFC contenders with him at the helm. Winning remains the defining measure of his legacy. Individual rankings will always spark debate at the sport’s most critical position, and Prescott’s higher ranking inevitably fuels conversations about touchdown passes, accuracy, and overall offensive output. People will debate how much emphasis to place on those rankings, and whether participants care about them at all. They do care about success—winning—and enjoying the right kind of triumph, but for some, the interest lies in whether Hurts continues to lead Philadelphia into meaningful December and January games.
In this light, the Eagles’ confidence in Hurts rests not on this year’s rankings but on his demonstrated advantages: toughness, leadership, and championship pedigree. As long as those traits define his play, the franchise will remain assured that their long-term quarterback has the capacity to steer the team to the kind of postseason runs that fans crave. And with a new offensive coordinator expected to unleash more creativity in the attack, another deep postseason push could be on the horizon. If Hurts helps drive that ascent in 2026 and his performance becomes integral to the team’s success, it wouldn’t be surprising if the talk about his place among the NFL’s best quarterbacks shifts significantly by the following summer.
This narrative shift would reflect a broader truth about Hurts: rankings will ebb and flow, but the core characteristics the Eagles prize—his grit, leadership, and proven ability to perform when it matters—remain the foundation of the organization’s confidence in him as their franchise quarterback. If the 2026 season reinforces that trajectory, the conversation surrounding Hurts’s standing among the elite could look markedly different in the near future. This piece originally appeared on Eagles Wire under the headline noting Hurts’s snub in the top 10 while Prescott made the list, highlighting the ongoing SEO and audience interest in the debate around who truly sits at the pinnacle of NFL quarterback rankings.