Jalen Hurts Bio
Jalen Alexander Hurts is an American professional football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). Born on August 7, 1998, in Houston, Texas, he began his college career with the Alabama Crimson Tide, leading them to two consecutive College Football Playoff appearances in 2016 and 2017. Hurts transferred to the University of Oklahoma for his final year and was selected by the Eagles in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Since becoming their starter, Hurts has led the Eagles to significant playoff successes, including winning Super Bowl LIX and earning the Super Bowl MVP award.
Jalen Hurts
Early Life and Background
Jalen Alexander Hurts was born on August 7, 1998, in Houston, Texas, and grew up in the nearby city of Channelview. His parents, Pamela Hurts and Averion Hurts, raised a tight-knit family that included Hurts and his two siblings, younger sister Kynnedy and older brother Averion Jr., who was named after his father. Football was a central part of the household, as Averion Hurts served as the football coach at Channelview High School throughout Jalen’s high school career.
Hurts attended Channelview High School, where he became a four-star recruit and one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the 2016 class. As a senior, he passed for 2,384 yards with 26 touchdowns and added 1,391 rushing yards with 25 rushing scores, earning District 21-6A Overall MVP honors along the way. He committed to the University of Alabama on June 5, 2015, choosing the Crimson Tide over other suitors that included Texas A&M.
Outside of football, Hurts also competed in powerlifting as a high school sophomore, eventually squatting 500 pounds and reaching a regional final in the 198-pound weight class. The combination of athletic versatility and a football-driven family shaped his early path toward becoming a top college recruit.
Path to American Football
Hurts stepped onto one of the biggest stages in college football as a true freshman at the University of Alabama in 2016. By the second game of the season, he had taken over the starting quarterback role, becoming the first true freshman to start at quarterback for Alabama in 32 years. His production that year was historic, as he threw for 2,780 yards and 23 touchdowns while rushing for 954 yards and 13 scores, breaking the school’s single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback.
Hurts helped lead Alabama to a perfect 12-0 regular season in 2016, capturing the SEC Championship and earning SEC Offensive Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year honors. He guided the Crimson Tide to the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship and later won the 2018 Sugar Bowl as offensive MVP, cementing his place among the program’s elite quarterbacks.
After losing the starting job to Tua Tagovailoa during the 2018 national championship run, Hurts transferred to the University of Oklahoma as a graduate transfer in January 2019. In his lone season with the Sooners, he produced 3,851 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns, 1,298 rushing yards, and 20 rushing touchdowns, finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Joe Burrow. That single season transformed him from a polarizing college player into an early-round NFL Draft prospect.
Jalen Hurts Career
Early Career (2020-2021)
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Hurts 53rd overall in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Originally named the third-string quarterback, he rose to the backup role in Week 2 and then took over as the starter in Week 14. In his first NFL start against the New Orleans Saints, Hurts threw for 167 yards and a touchdown while adding 106 rushing yards, leading the Eagles to a 24-21 victory.
Hurts became the full-time starter under new head coach Nick Sirianni in 2021 and finished the season with 3,144 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, 784 rushing yards, and 10 rushing touchdowns. He led all NFL quarterbacks in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns that year while guiding the Eagles to a playoff berth and earning a 2021 Pro Bowl alternate nod.
NFL Breakthrough (2022-2023)
The 2022 season marked Hurts’s true NFL breakthrough, as he led the Eagles to a 14-1 starting record, the NFC’s top seed, and an appearance in Super Bowl LVII. He finished the year with 3,701 passing yards, 35 total touchdowns, and a 101.5 passer rating, earning his first Pro Bowl selection, second-team All-Pro honors, and a runner-up finish in the Associated Press Most Valuable Player voting. Hurts then led Philadelphia to a 38-7 Divisional Round win and a 31-7 NFC Championship victory, falling just short against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl despite his record-setting performance.
On April 17, 2023, Hurts signed a five-year, $255 million contract extension with $180 million guaranteed, briefly making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. During the 2023 season, he set career highs in passing and rushing touchdowns, including a then-record 15 rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a single season, surpassing Cam Newton’s previous mark. He earned another Pro Bowl selection and helped Philadelphia reach the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
Super Bowl LIX Era (2024-Present)
In 2024, Hurts piloted the Eagles to a franchise-record 10-game win streak and a fourth consecutive playoff berth. After missing the final two regular-season games with a concussion, he returned to lead Philadelphia past the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round and the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round. He then authored a 55-23 NFC Championship rout of the Washington Commanders and capped the run by winning Super Bowl LIX, 40-22 over the Kansas City Chiefs, with 221 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and one rushing score.
Hurts was named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player for his performance, becoming the third Black quarterback to earn that honor. He has continued his strong play into the 2025 season, opening the year with a win over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Kickoff Game and later posting a perfect 158.3 passer rating against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7. He earned a third Pro Bowl nod and was named to the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world in 2025.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hurts is widely regarded as one of the NFL’s premier dual-threat quarterbacks, blending efficient pocket passing with punishing rushing ability. His track-type strength lies in high-pressure moments, where his mobility extends plays and his toughness near the goal line powers the Eagles’ signature Tush Push. That balance of arm talent and physical running has made him a constant late-game threat and a focal point of Philadelphia’s offense.
Notable Events and Milestones
Hurts owns the franchise record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, having surpassed Hall of Famer Randall Cunningham in 2023. He is also the first quarterback in NFL history to record three consecutive 10-rushing-touchdown seasons and the first Eagles quarterback ever to throw for at least 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in the same game. Most memorably, his 2024 Super Bowl LIX victory cemented him as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in Eagles history.
Jalen Hurts Career Wins
Across his NFL career, Jalen Hurts has racked up regular-season and postseason wins while guiding the Philadelphia Eagles to three division titles, five playoff appearances, and two Super Bowl berths. He has also captured the Super Bowl LIX championship and earned the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award, along with multiple Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections.
Regular Season and Playoff Highlights
Hurts’s first NFL win came on December 13, 2020, when he led the Eagles to a 24-21 victory over the New Orleans Saints in his debut start. His most recent Super Bowl triumph came on February 9, 2025, when he guided Philadelphia to a 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. He has also led the Eagles to conference championship game victories over the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Commanders.
Other Wins and Performances
At the college level, Hurts helped Alabama win the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship as a true freshman starter and later won the 2018 Sugar Bowl as offensive MVP. With Oklahoma, he captured the 2019 Big 12 Championship and led the Sooners to the 2019 College Football Playoff, finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting that year.
Jalen Hurts Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
The Hurts family has deep roots in football, beginning with Jalen’s father, Averion Hurts, who served as the football coach at Channelview High School throughout his son’s prep career. His older brother, Averion Jr., was a starting quarterback at Texas Southern University, extending the family’s quarterback lineage beyond the high school level.
Personal Life
Hurts married his college sweetheart, Bryonna “Bry” Rivera Burrows, on June 14, 2025. The couple has been together since their college years and frequently appears together at public events. Hurts is a Baptist who has spoken openly about keeping God at the center of his life, and he is the godfather to the daughter of former Eagles teammate A. J. Brown. He is also known for employing an all-female management team and advocating for women in sports.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season began on a high note for Hurts and the Eagles, who hosted the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Kickoff Game and won convincingly. Through the opening stretch, Hurts completed 79.9 percent of his passes and added production on the ground, though his first passing touchdown did not arrive until Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams. A Week 7 masterpiece against the Minnesota Vikings, in which he posted a perfect 158.3 passer rating, reinforced his standing among the league’s elite quarterbacks.
Hurts hit a rough patch during a Week 14 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, where he tied a career-high in turnovers and finished with a 31.3 passer rating and 27.3 QBR. He bounced back in subsequent weeks as the Eagles pushed toward another playoff seed, though the campaign ended with a 23-19 Wild Card Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Despite the early playoff exit, Hurts added a third Pro Bowl selection and a Time 100 nod to his resume.
Looking ahead, Hurts remains under contract through the 2028 season on his five-year, $255 million extension, keeping him as Philadelphia’s franchise cornerstone. His combination of dual-threat production, late-game poise, and postseason experience gives the Eagles one of the more stable quarterback situations in the NFL. With Hurts still in his prime, Philadelphia’s championship window remains firmly open as the team transitions into the next phase of its roster build.
