PHOENIX -- By this point in the NFL season, no one is even remotely surprised about Jalen Hurts' composure. The third-year quarterback has been notoriously poised since his college days at Alabama and Oklahoma. His unwavering posture was a big reason he emerged as the Eagles' face of the franchise even before an MVP-level breakout on the field in 2022. But did you know, at just 24, up against Patrick Mahomes and a potential Chiefs dynasty in Super Bowl LVII, he's also a safe bet to win it all?
Or at least that's according to teammate Kenneth Gainwell, who didn't hesitate to put Sunday's upcoming championship game on the young QB's shoulders.
"Jalen, he's always level-headed," Gainwell said during Opening Night at the Footprint Center. "He's always doing everything he has to do to stay prepared and ready for the game. So I haven't seen him change. I haven't seen anything change from him. (And) I don't see anything changing from him. He's gonna bring us this Bowl. It's gonna be on Jalen, so we'll get it done."
In any other circumstance, you might pause at such words, delivered mere days before the Super Bowl. But Gainwell's lofty expectations aren't adding undue pressure to Hurts' plate. The QB repeatedly reminded reporters in his own media availability Monday that he doesn't believe in "arriving" as a player, only in climbing. "The standard is the standard," he told local media all season, refusing to settle. Cliche or not, it carries a different tune when it's coming from a 24-year-old wrapping up just his second season as a full-time starter -- a guy who's grown in every facet of his game as the Eagles' 14-1 starter this year.
Don't just take Gainwell's word for it. Hurts shared the spotlight with Mahomes on Monday as if he'd already done it half a dozen times before; an outsider wouldn't have been able to guess which of the two star QBs was making his third Super Bowl appearance in five seasons. It's a testament to the businesslike approach from each of the historic signal-callers. And Mahomes made sure to pay his respects when asked what impresses him most about his counterpart.
"Everything, man," Mahomes said. "First off, he's doing it the right way. He works his tail off to get better every single offseason, and you can see how much he's getting better and better. And he's a leader. You can tell how much his guys follow him and would do anything for him. And then the way he's able to not only run -- because he can run, and make that stuff happen -- but he can take advantage of every throw that's on the football field. I always have a ton of respect for guys who put in the work every single day to get better and better, because I was raw coming out of college and I had to put in that same work. A great leader, man, and it's gonna be a great challenge for us. It's gonna be a heck of a football game."