Eagles’ Jalen Hurts explains why his eagerness to learn was halted with Jason Kelce: ‘Now times are different’

The Philadelphia Eagles are entering a new era on offense. Not only has offensive coordinator Brian Johnson been replaced by Kellen Moore, but Philly’s long-time, likely future Pro Football Hall of Fame center Jason Kelce has retired. 

Not only was Kelce a primary leader in the locker room and a consistent presence up front, but also someone who handled duties on offense. In fact, he handled some things quarterback Jalen Hurts didn’t have to. That all changes in 2024. Recently, Hurts said his “eagerness to learn” was “halted” due to Kelce’s expertise. 

“We had a great player in Jason Kelce who took on a lot of responsibility and as a result of that I was told not to worry about a lot of things,” Hurts said on 94WIP. And so my eagerness to learn over the years kind of was halted…but now times are different.”

So, not only is Hurts learning a new offensive scheme, but also dealing with more calls at the line of scrimmage, one could assume. 

The Eagles are looking to bounce back after their late-season collapse in 2023. Hurts has lost six out of his last seven starts after going 29-4 in his previous 33 games, including playoffs. As Philly limped down the stretch, Hurts averaged just 1.4 total touchdowns per game over his final seven contests, and 230.1 total yards. 

Hurts still has an incredible supporting cast with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and now Saquon Barkley, but what’s clear from Hurts’ quote is that there will be some things he will have to be focused on that he previously didn’t have to worry about. And that’s notable.