So, let's talk about the Birds. If you've spent even five minutes in a South Philly corner store or scrolled through a heated thread on X lately, you know that the conversation around quarterbacks for Philadelphia Eagles isn't just about football. It’s basically a civic religion. It's high drama. Honestly, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster that never actually stops for a break.
We are currently sitting in the early days of 2026, and the dust is still settling from a wild 2025 season. One minute, Jalen Hurts is hoisting the Lombardi Trophy as the Super Bowl LIX MVP—yeah, that actually happened—and the next, we're dissecting a Wild Card exit against the Niners like the world is ending.
Philly is a "quarterback factory." That's what Howie Roseman called it, right? Sometimes that factory produces a shiny new Ferrari. Other times, it feels like it’s churning out parts for a car that nobody knows how to drive. But whether you're a die-hard or just someone trying to figure out why your uncle is screaming at the TV, understanding the lineage of the signal-callers in midnight green is the only way to make sense of the chaos.
The Jalen Hurts Reality Check
Jalen Hurts is the guy. Let’s just start there. He just finished a 2025 campaign where he threw for over 3,200 yards and 25 touchdowns. But numbers don't tell the whole story. If you look at the Expected Points Added (EPA), he actually ranked 19th in the league for a good chunk of the year. Kind of wild for a guy who has been to two Super Bowls in three years, isn't it?
The city is split. On one side, you have the "In Jalen We Trust" camp. They point to his obsessive perfectionism—a trait Jason Kelce recently defended on 94WIP, calling him one of the most competitive humans ever. On the other side, there's a growing vocal group worried about "the Russell Wilson path." You know the vibe: a mobile QB who starts to hold the ball too long, takes too many sacks, and maybe gets a little too polished for his own good.
The 2025 Stats at a Glance
- Passing Yards: 3,224
- Touchdowns: 25 (Air) + 8 (Ground)
- Interceptions: 6
- Completion Rate: 64.8%
The passing game struggled to find a rhythm for long stretches last season. It’s weird. You have A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, arguably the best duo in the league, yet sometimes the offense looked like it was stuck in mud. Then, the "Tush Push" (or Brotherly Shove, if you’re being formal) bails them out. Hurts is the engine of that play. It's ugly, it’s controversial, and it works. But as we head into 2026, the real question is whether the new offensive coordinator—the sixth one Jalen will have worked with—can finally bridge the gap between "game manager" and "elite distributor."
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That Quarterback Factory: Who’s Behind No. 1?
Philly loves a backup QB. They love them almost as much as they love hating the starter. Remember when people were unironically asking for Tanner McKee to start last year?
McKee is an interesting case. He’s 6'6", a pure pocket passer, and he looked sharp in the 2025 preseason. He even got a start in the regular-season finale against the Giants and threw for 269 yards and two scores. But the "factory" is already looking to move him. Word on the street—and by street, I mean Ben Solak’s latest reporting—is that McKee might be headed to the Dolphins for a middle-round pick.
If McKee leaves, the depth chart gets real thin, real fast.
- Jalen Hurts (The Franchise)
- Tanner McKee (Likely trade bait)
- Sam Howell (The veteran reclamation project)
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson (The athletic wild card)
- Kyle McCord (The local kid from St. Joe's Prep)
Howie Roseman snatched up McCord in the sixth round of the 2025 draft. He’s a Jersey native, which basically means he was born with a target on his back and a chip on his shoulder. He hasn't seen much action yet, but in this city, you're always one awkward landing away from the rookie being the most popular man in town.
Why the History of Eagles Quarterbacks Hits Different
You can't talk about quarterbacks for Philadelphia Eagles without acknowledging the legacy. This franchise has started Black quarterbacks for more games than any other team in NFL history. It’s a lineage that matters.
Randall Cunningham was the "Ultimate Weapon." He was doing Patrick Mahomes things in 1988 while the rest of the league was still figuring out how to use the forward pass. Then you had Donovan McNabb. People forget how much winning that guy did. Five NFC Championship games. He’s still the all-time leader in passing yards (32,873) and touchdowns (216).
Then, of course, there’s the Nick Foles of it all.
Foles is the only man in Philly who will never have to pay for a beer again. He represents the "lightning in a bottle" hope that every backup carries. When Carson Wentz went down in 2017, the season was supposed to be over. Instead, we got the Philly Special. That shadow hangs over every quarterback who puts on the jersey. The fans don't just want a winner; they want a legend.
The Drama We Don't Talk About Enough
Lately, there’s been some smoke regarding Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown. Reports surfaced after the playoff loss to the 49ers that there might be some "fallout." Is it real? Honestly, in Philly, everything is amplified. Jalen is often described as "aloof" or "stoic." When things are winning, he’s a leader. When things are losing, that same stoicism gets called "lack of passion."
It's a tough spot to be in.
And let's look at the coaching carousel. Nick Sirianni is still there, but he’s basically been stripped of offensive play-calling duties. Kevin Patullo took a lot of heat last season and didn't exactly get a ringing endorsement from Hurts after the wild card loss. The disconnect between the QB and the scheme is the biggest hurdle for 2026.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're following the quarterbacks for Philadelphia Eagles this year, here is what you actually need to keep an eye on to stay ahead of the curve:
- Watch the Preseason Trade Market: If Tanner McKee is traded, it’s a sign that the Eagles are confident in Sam Howell or Dorian Thompson-Robinson as the primary insurance policy. This frees up cap space but raises the stakes for Hurts' health.
- Monitor the Target Share: If A.J. Brown’s targets dip in the first three weeks, the "locker room drama" rumors will explode. Watch how the new OC scripts the opening drives to involve both Brown and Smith.
- The "Tush Push" Sustainability: The league is constantly looking for ways to ban or nerf this play. If the Eagles lose their short-yardage cheat code, Hurts' rushing TD numbers (and the team's red-zone efficiency) will take a massive hit.
- The McCord Factor: Don't ignore Kyle McCord. If the Eagles are blowing someone out (or getting blown out), his snaps in "garbage time" will tell us if he’s a legitimate future backup or just a training camp arm.
The reality is that being the quarterback in Philadelphia is the hardest job in sports. You aren't just playing against the opposing defense; you're playing against the ghosts of 1960, 2004, and 2017. Jalen Hurts has the rings and the stats to back up his status, but in this town, you're only as good as your last third-down conversion. Sorta brutal, but that's just Philly.
As we move into the 2026 training camp, the narrative is clear: simplify the offense, fix the chemistry, and let Jalen be Jalen. Whether the "quarterback factory" has another miracle in store remains to be seen, but it's never going to be boring. Keep your eyes on the coaching staff changes—that's where the real season will be won or lost.