Eagles Make Quarterback Decision As NFL Season Approaches

PHILADELPHIA, PA — It feels like yesterday, but already long gone are the days of Eagles cornerstones Carson Wentz, Nick Foles, and Doug Pederson.

After a disastrous 2020 campaign saw them finish dead last in the NFC East with a 4-11-1 record, the Eagles will head into the 2021 NFL season with a whole new look. That includes new head coach Nick Sirianni, the 39-year-old former offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts. And, notably, it includes Jalen Hurts, who was officially named the Eagles starting quarterback Tuesday.

"We wanted him to take advantage of the opportunity," Sirianni said Tuesday, pointing to Hurts' strong preseason. "I consistently saw a player that got better every single day."

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While the announcement may seem like something of a formality — the 23-year-old second round draft pick in 2020 took the reins from Carson Wentz in the second half of last season — the Birds do have some depth at the position. They're currently carrying three quarterbacks, including South Jersey native Joe Flacco, as well as third stringer Gardner Minshew.

"We're obviously a quarterback factory," Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said, noting that the Birds have traditionally carried three quarterbacks on their roster over most of the past 15 years. Roseman also pointed to the 17-game schedule in 2021 and the anticipated wear and tear on the roster at large as a reason for the added depth.

As recently as a year ago, the notion of Hurts and Flacco as the Birds 1-2 punch would've seemed impossible. But friction between Wentz and the Eagles, along with a career-worst year for a man who many had presumed was a franchise player, led to Wentz being shipped off to Indianapolis over the winter.

The announcement came as the Birds sliced their preliminary roster down to the required 53 players ahead of a filing deadline Tuesday.

Hurts will try to build on a 2020 campaign which saw him complete 77 of 148 attempts, to go with 1,061 yards and six touchdowns. He appeared in 15 games as he slowly supplanted Wentz, but only started four. He'll attempt to jumpstart a Birds offense that was 26th in yards gained last year. He'll be joined by a youthful offense featuring 2021 first round draft pick, former Alabama star, and Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith.

The Eagles season kicks off on Sunday, Sept. 12, at 1 p.m., when they battle the Falcons in Atlanta.