Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts spoke to reporters before practice Wednesday and learned onstage that he was an MVP finalist — though he didn’t have much to say about it. However, the QB spoke about his competitive spirit, how relationships have evolved on offense, and a bit about the 49ers’ defense.
He was asked how he was physically and Hurts was honest:
“I felt better. But it doesn’t matter. I have to do it.”
Here’s what else the QB had to say:
About being an MVP finalist
“I did not know it.
Put in the work I think it’s a cool honor. Don’t really have to say much about it.
I don’t know, words fail me to be honest.”
Hurts later said it wasn’t really in his nature to look back to see how far he’d come, noting that it wasn’t the time for him to think about it because he wasn’t done yet.
For his competitive spirit
Hurts was asked about his competitive urges, and the QB said he only had the urge to win and that he put in the work to win. He tries to be diligent in everything he does in addition to being the best teammate and leader he can be, trying to set the pace and temperature of the room.
“People lead because their colleagues let them lead.”
The QB said it takes a lot of hard work, sacrifice and trust and ultimately all of those things will bring respect.
“I think as a team we’ve just come a very long way and the beauty of it all is that we’ve just kept trying to improve.”
On the 49ers’ defense
“They are really good across the board. Starts with the front seven and then has a really good defensive back group. They fly to the ball. They are also disruptive in any position. You are well trained. So we have a task ahead of us. We have a really good challenge ahead of us, a really big challenge and as always we just want to go out there and do it.”
About the relationships between the crimes
Hurts was asked how much having the offensive team tailor the scheme to what he does and what he likes has helped him, but the QB said it’s always been that way for him, noting that the way , how he plays the position, overtakes what the coach is calling. However, he said that the time they had to grow together allowed them to develop a relationship and be on the same page, so they’re clicking all cylinders at this point.
“Being able to play with friends. I play with a lot of my friends that I’ve known for a while and we all have the same ambitions, we all have the same goals.”
Hurts went on to say that he saw those relationships benefit from some of the adversity they faced in the moment. In those moments, he said, they test the foundation they’ve built and they’ve weathered certain situations this season and grown stronger together.
other personalities
- Hurts was asked about 49ers QB Brock Purdy and he recalled playing against him when Oklahoma faced Iowa State. He said he’s always had a lot of respect for Purdy, who’s always been a really good player and has a lot of guts.
- To focus on the NFC Championship game and not look ahead to the Super Bowl, Hurts said it’s about staying in the moment and enjoying the process ahead of them.
- Hurts mentioned that he’s drawing on the things they’ve done this year, the team they’ve shown themselves to be as they move one step closer to the Super Bowl. It draws on the process they have established for themselves and the standard they set.
- Hurts DC saw DeMeco Ryans of the 49ers growing up when he was with the Texans, but other than maybe having a signed ball or something, he doesn’t remember much about those encounters. The QB spoke about how coming back and playing in Houston and at the stadium where he spent so much time growing up was a bigger moment than he imagined leading up to this game. But it’s a cool moment for Hurts to play against a team coached by Ryans, someone he grew up with.