Jalen Hurts' Running Decline: 52 Touchdowns in 4 Years, Then the Cliff — What It Means for His Shelf Life

The numbers tell a story that no amount of spin can rewrite. From 2021 through 2024, Jalen Hurts was one of the most prolific rushing quarterbacks in NFL history. Ten rushing touchdowns. Then 13. Then 15. Then 14. Four consecutive seasons of double-digit rushing touchdowns — 52 total over that span. It was historic. It was the foundation of everything Philadelphia built.

Then came 2025: eight rushing touchdowns and 421 yards on just 105 attempts. The cliff arrived, and it arrived fast.

The Numbers Do Not Lie

Look at the full rushing trajectory. In 2021: 784 yards on 139 attempts. In 2022: 760 yards on 165 attempts. In 2023: 605 yards on 157 attempts. In 2024: 630 yards on 150 attempts. Last season: 421 yards on 105 attempts. The yardage had been gradually declining from that 2021 peak, but the touchdowns remained elite — until they did not. The attempt number tells the real story. Hurts went from averaging roughly 150 rush attempts per season to just 105 last year. That is not a minor dip. That is a fundamental change in how he was used.

Why Did It Happen?

The debate over why Hurts ran less in 2025 has consumed Eagles discourse for months. Was it Hurts himself choosing to protect his body and his $255 million contract? Was it an organizational directive from the top — Jeffrey Lurie, Howie Roseman, Nick Sirianni — to preserve their franchise quarterback? Or was it a combination of both? The most likely answer is the last one. Hurts recognized that running 150-plus times per season takes a toll, and the organization was on board with reducing that workload. The problem is that the reduction did not just limit his rushing production — it limited his overall effectiveness.

The scramble threat is what makes everything else work for Hurts. When defenses have to account for his legs, passing lanes open up, play-action becomes more dangerous, and RPOs create impossible choices for linebackers. Remove the running threat and defenses can play Hurts like a more traditional pocket passer — which exposes the areas of his game that are not elite.

The Shelf Life Question

This is the conversation nobody in the Hurts camp wants to have, but it is unavoidable. Name a running quarterback who had his best years at 28 or older. The list is short to nonexistent. Hurts turns 28 in August 2026. The historical precedent for dual-threat quarterbacks maintaining their rushing production deep into their careers is not encouraging. Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III, Michael Vick — the running dimension fades, and the quarterback either evolves into a true passer or becomes a diminished version of himself.

The catch-22 is brutal. Hurts got to the $255 million contract in large part because of his rushing ability. If he stops running to extend his career and protect that contract, the very skills that earned the money disappear — and the value proposition changes dramatically. But if he continues running at the 150-attempt pace, the wear and tear could shorten the back end of his career. There is no clean answer.

What Has to Happen in 2026

The rushing attempts need to get back to 150. Period. That is not optional. Whether Hurts wants to do it, whether the organization wants him to do it — it has to happen. The 2025 season proved definitively that Hurts without the running game is not the same player. The people who believe he can simply transition to a more traditional pocket quarterback and maintain the same level of production are not being honest with themselves. It already happened. We already saw it. It did not work.

If the running does not come back — whether because Hurts does not want to do it or because his body will not allow it — then the Eagles need to start thinking about the next chapter. That is not a hot take. That is the logical conclusion of what 2025 showed everyone. Hurts is on the clock, less so than Nick Sirianni but on the clock nonetheless. The guaranteed money on his contract runs out soon, and the Eagles will have to make a real decision.

Fifty-two rushing touchdowns in four years was remarkable. Eight in the fifth year was a warning. The 2026 season will determine which number defines the rest of Jalen Hurts' career in Philadelphia.