The Facts: Hurts hardly left a positive final impression in the Eagles' defeat against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card Round. HC Nick Sirianni backed Hurts as the Eagles' franchise quarterback then and he's doing so now. "He led us to the playoffs and obviously we want to go further than that and we're really confident that Jalen is the guy that can help us do that," Sirianni said this week at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Diehards Line: Among the positives for the dynamic 23-year-old Hurts are that he piloted the Eagles to a postseason berth that wasn't prognosticated by most at the onset of the 2021 campaign. He dazzled with his legs – 784 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns – and did just enough with his arm (most of the time), as he tallied 3,144 yards through the air with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Questions surrounding Hurts' arm strength abound, but Sirianni believes Hurts has improved season after season and is confident that will carry on in 2022. "The guy loves football and he's just willing to do the things that he needs to do to get better and that's why he does continue to get better," Sirianni said. ... Expected to be ready to go by organized team activities following offseason ankle surgery, Hurts will also be expected to continue his maturation on the field and to maintain Philadelphia's ascent back up the NFL ladder.