Jalen Hurts' Market Value Is Crashing — And His Refusal to Run Is the Reason

The Dual-Threat Tax

Let's cut through the noise and say what everyone in Philadelphia is thinking but too afraid to admit: if Jalen Hurts refuses to run the football, his market value plummets. Period. Full stop.

They call it "dual threat" for a reason. Take away half of that equation and you're paying Ferrari money for a station wagon. That's exactly where the Eagles find themselves heading into the 2026 offseason.

The Passing Numbers Tell the Story

Here's what the stat sheet reveals about Hurts as a pure pocket passer. In the 2025 season, Hurts completed 294 of 454 passes with an average of 7.1 yards per completion. That's pedestrian. That's replacement-level.

But here's the damning number: 60% of his completions were 10 yards or under. The Philadelphia Eagles ranked 28th in the NFL in passing. Twenty-eighth. And this is a team with AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith — two legitimate number-one receivers on most rosters.

Of the team's 318 total catches, Brown and Smith combined for 155 of them. That's nearly half the completions going to just two players. The third wide receiver averaged 29 catches over the last four years. The tight end and Saquon Barkley were essentially the third and fourth receiving options.

That's not spreading the ball around. That's a quarterback who locks onto his top two reads and checks down.

The Shane Steichen Factor

Want to know Hurts' real market value? Look at what Shane Steichen is doing in Indianapolis. Daniel Jones — yes, that Daniel Jones — is about to get a three-year, $110 million deal from the Colts. Structured between $33-37 million annually with $46 million guaranteed.

Jones was on the Minnesota practice squad. Steichen made him a Pro Bowler. Steichen made Gardner Minshew a Pro Bowler. And here's the kicker — Steichen is the one who got Hurts paid in the first place.

The 2022 version of Jalen Hurts — the one who ran the ball, kept defenses honest, and used his legs to extend plays — was worth every penny. That guy could fetch a first-round pick on the trade market. But the 2025 version? The one who refuses to run, holds the ball too long, and can't push it downfield?

He's the 11th or 12th highest-paid quarterback in the league, and his production doesn't justify that number without the running element.

The New Offense Gamble

The Eagles fired their entire offensive staff for a reason. They looked at what Hurts was doing — the predictable play-calling, the short passing game, the refusal to use the middle of the field — and said "this has gone as far as it can go."

Bringing in a new offensive coordinator is a massive bet on Hurts adapting. If he comes out throwing for 4,200 yards, hitting 68% of his passes, and tossing 30 touchdowns — even in a nine-win season — that's growth. That's progress.

But if he's back there holding the ball, refusing to run, and the offense looks the same as last year in a different wrapper? Then the Eagles have a $50 million quarterback playing like a $25 million one.

The Bottom Line

Hurts' market value in 2022 was undeniable. MVP candidate. Super Bowl starter. Dual-threat nightmare for defenses.

His market value in 2026? It depends entirely on whether he's willing to be the player the Eagles are paying him to be. And right now, all signs point to a quarterback who wants to be a pocket passer trapped in a dual-threat contract.

That math doesn't add up. And Howie Roseman knows it.