If you were scrolling through Twitter—or "X," as we now begrudgingly call it—on the night of April 24, 2020, you probably thought the Philadelphia Eagles' front office had lost their collective minds.
The fan base wasn't just confused. They were livid. The team had just used a second-round pick on a quarterback when they already had a "franchise guy" in Carson Wentz who was barely a year into a $128 million extension. It felt like a glitch in the Matrix.
So, to answer the burning question: When did Jalen Hurts join the Eagles? Officially, Jalen Hurts joined the Philadelphia Eagles on April 24, 2020, when he was selected with the 53rd overall pick in the second round of the NFL Draft.
But the "when" is only half the story. The "how" and "why" are what turned a backup project into the Super Bowl MVP and the highest-paid player in league history.
The Chaos of the 2020 NFL Draft
Draft night in 2020 was weird for everyone because of the pandemic. General Managers were drafting from their basements, and Howie Roseman was about to make the most controversial move of his career.
Most people expected a wide receiver. Justin Jefferson was on the board in the first round, but the Eagles famously took Jalen Reagor instead. Then came the second round. When the pick came in for Hurts, the reaction in Philly was essentially a city-wide facepalm.
Honestly, it made no sense to most experts at the time. Wentz had just dragged a roster of "practice squad" guys to the playoffs in 2019. Why draft a guy like Hurts? Roseman called it the "Quarterback Factory" philosophy. He wanted a high-end insurance policy.
What he got was a revolution.
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From Third-String to the Starter (The 2020 Shift)
When Hurts arrived at the NovaCare Complex, he wasn't even the backup. He started his rookie season as the third-stringer behind Nate Sudfeld.
He was basically used as a "gadget" player at first. A few rushing attempts here, a decoy role there. But Carson Wentz’s play started to crater in a way nobody predicted. By December, the Eagles were 3-8-1 and the offense looked broken.
The Turning Point: December 6, 2020
During a Week 13 game against the Green Bay Packers, Doug Pederson finally pulled the trigger. He benched Wentz and put in the kid from Oklahoma.
Hurts didn't win that game, but he looked alive. Two days later, on December 8, 2020, he was officially named the starter for the upcoming game against the New Orleans Saints.
He won that first start. He ran for over 100 yards. He looked like the future.
The Rise of QB1: Key Milestones Since Joining
Since that chaotic 2020 season, Hurts has basically rewritten the Eagles' record books. It wasn't an overnight success, though. 2021 was a "bridge" year where people still questioned if he could actually throw the ball well enough to be elite.
By 2022, those questions vanished.
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- 2021: He became the youngest Eagles QB to ever start a playoff game at age 23.
- 2022: He led the team to a 14-1 regular-season record and an appearance in Super Bowl LVII.
- 2023: On April 17, 2023, he signed a massive five-year, $255 million extension.
- 2024: The ultimate redemption. Hurts led the Eagles to a Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs and was named Super Bowl MVP.
It’s wild to think that a guy who was once seen as a "wasted pick" now holds the record for the most career games with 2+ rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (15). He’s one of only three QBs—alongside Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes—to post 25+ total touchdowns in four consecutive seasons.
Why the "Quarterback Factory" Actually Worked
Looking back from 2026, it’s easy to say the Eagles were geniuses. At the time? It felt like a disaster.
But Hurts' arrival forced a change in the organization’s DNA. He brought a "standard" that everyone from AJ Brown to Saquon Barkley talks about. His workout routine is legendary. His maturity, even at 24 when he signed that big deal, was often described by owner Jeffrey Lurie as "unseen" for someone that age.
We saw this play out in 2025 too. Despite some internal frustrations during the mid-season slump, Hurts finished with 3,224 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. His ability to adapt—running less to preserve his body while still being a threat—shows the nuance that many "experts" said he'd never develop.
A Breakdown of the Jalen Hurts Contract
If you're wondering how long he's staying in Philly, the 2023 extension keeps him locked in through 2028.
- Total Value: $255 Million.
- Guarantees: $179.3 Million.
- Signing Bonus: $23.3 Million.
- Special Clause: He got the first no-trade clause in Eagles history.
That last part is huge. It’s basically the team saying, "You are the guy, and we aren't even going to pretend we’d look elsewhere."
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
When you look at when Jalen Hurts joined the Eagles, the takeaway isn't just about a date on a calendar. It's about the value of draft-day "flexibility."
- Trust the Process (The Real One): If you're an NFL team and you see a high-character player with elite traits, take him. Even if you have a "starter."
- Development Matters: Hurts wasn't a great passer in 2020. He became one through sheer force of will and the addition of weapons like DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown.
- Follow the Money: The 2023 contract was the floor for the market, not the ceiling. Watching how Hurts manages his cap hit over the next two seasons will be vital for how the Eagles build around him.
The journey from the "worst pick ever" in April 2020 to a Super Bowl MVP in 2025 is probably the greatest developmental story in Philadelphia sports history. He didn't just join the team; he took it over.
Keep an eye on his rushing stats as the 2026 season approaches. While he’s throwing more, his 63 career rushing touchdowns (as of now) put him on a trajectory to potentially catch Cam Newton’s all-time record.
If you want to track his progress in real-time, the best move is to monitor the Eagles' weekly injury reports and Next Gen Stats on his time-to-throw. His evolution from a scrambler to a pocket navigator is where the games are being won now.