Fresh off steamrolling the Chiefs for a Super Bowl win, the Eagles are flying high. And if there’s one thing Philly fans know, it’s that this team loves stockpiling quarterbacks like a doomsday prepper hoarding canned goods. Winning a Super Bowl is hard—defending it? Even harder. But the Eagles have always had a knack for loading up on talent under center. From Jeff Garcia to Nick Foles, they’ve had their share of QB success stories.
Now, it’s Jalen Hurts running the show—and he’s killing it. Two Super Bowl appearances in just four years? That’s elite territory. Replacing a guy like him? Might as well try bench-pressing a freight train. Still, one analyst thinks the Eagles could find the next big thing in a ‘poor man’s Jalen Hurts’—a 2,844-yard passer flying just under the radar. Didn’t see that one coming, did you?
So, who is this gunslinger who amassed 2,844 yards and 16 TDs last season? None other than Jalen Milroe. Yep, from the same college Hurts once called home—Alabama. And the similarities don’t end at the first name. We all remember Hurts’ electric run under Nick Saban, especially when he made history as the first Bama QB to rush for 11 touchdowns in a single season. His 75% completion rate in the 2016 Iron Bowl against Auburn? Unforgettable. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. In 2017, Alabama found itself trailing Georgia in the National Championship. That’s when Tua Tagovailoa stepped in, essentially marking the end of Hurts’ time at Bama. He later transferred to Oklahoma, and honestly? That move might’ve been the best thing for him.
It was a true turning point. Hurts led the Sooners to the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2019, and it shaped his transition into the NFL. Matt Harmon from Yahoo Sports summed it up well: “I thought he was pretty damn good in that last season at Oklahoma and showed a lot more development as a quarterback. I think he kind of got painted a little bit too much with the brush of what he was early in his career.”
And Harmon believes Milroe might be cut from the same cloth—well, sort of. “We didn’t really see that full development from Jalen Milroe. Now, I do think, again, like a ceiling-floor comparison—ceiling comparison is maybe he could be a poor man’s Jalen Hurts because he’s got the tools. The mobility is real. You could design something out of that.” Now Milroe as a Hurts-lite backup? Now that’s a plot twist. And when you look at the broader picture, it kind of makes sense. Milroe could slide in as a potential backup QB for the Eagles. Sure, he’s still raw—but the skillset is there.
Of course, there are concerns. Harmon notes, “A floor comparison is, you know, we’re talking about a guy who maybe people want to switch positions with at some point. Whether that’s right or wrong, that’s what we’d be talking about with Jalen Milroe.”
Credits: Imago
Still, Milroe’s mobility is hard to ignore. At his Pro Day, he reportedly ran an unofficial 4.37-second 40-yard dash—with the official time clocking in at 4.40. That’s wide receiver-level speed from a quarterback. And he wasn’t just fast—he was productive too, racking up 16 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions last season for Bama.
Now, with the Eagles’ current QB depth? Yeah, they could definitely use someone like Milroe. Last season, when Hurts went down, Kenny Pickett stepped in—and it didn’t exactly inspire confidence. Philly ended up trading him to Cleveland for Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 2025 fifth-rounder. But DTR isn’t a long-term answer either, and while Tanner McKee showed flashes when injuries hit, he’s still more ‘maybe’ than ‘must-have.’
So what’s the move? The 2025 NFL Draft might hold the key. “I could see somebody on Day 2, probably round 3 would be much more acceptable than round 2.” That’s the current buzz. As of now, Milroe isn’t showing up as a Day 1 pick in any mock drafts. But Harmon points out, “I can’t really think of a team off the top of my head, but we want to maybe develop this guy. We’re a quarterback factory—obviously, that’s what the Eagles branded themselves as. Shoot, maybe he’s the Eagles’ long-term backup quarterback.”
With the Super Bowl champs holding the 32nd overall pick, they’re in a pretty solid position. If Milroe drops as expected, they could snag him in the later rounds. And if he rises sooner than projected? A trade-up isn’t out of the question. A “mini-Hurts” waiting in the wings? That might just be the smartest insurance policy Philly could buy. Also, after the Eagles hefty $51 million investment, this sounds like a much better option.
Philadelphia Eagles’ $51 million move
Zack Baun took a chance on himself by signing a one-year deal with Nick Sirianni and Co., and it turned out to be a huge success. Following a Super Bowl victory and an All-Pro season, the Eagles rewarded him with a lucrative three-year, $51 million contract, making him the fourth highest-paid linebacker in the league. “I felt like toward the end of the season, I was playing so confidently that I knew I was going to make a play,” Baun said. “I just couldn’t tell you what it was going to be or when or where, but I’m excited to build off of that confidence and continue to find myself in this scheme.”
Baun, who excelled in Vic Fangio’s defensive scheme, is excited to stay in Philadelphia, seamlessly fitting into the team. With an impressive stat line of 151 tackles, five forced fumbles, and an interception, he became a cornerstone of the NFL’s top-ranked defense. “What we built here, the culture here, and honestly, now that I’m thinking about it, I was just a piece of the puzzle that was put into a great culture already established,” he said.
Just a year ago, Baun was looking for a fresh start, but now he has found a true home in Philly. “We absolutely love it here,” he said. “It’s nice to be here in one place. My wife does a fantastic job of coordinating things for me and my family. I’m just so thankful for where football has taken my life.”
The Eagles have become a sanctuary for players looking to prove themselves, and Baun is a shining example. His remarkable turnaround even led GM Howie Roseman to break his own rule by investing significantly in an off-ball linebacker. “I feel like this team and this place is very good for that and guys that want to sign that one-year, prove-it deal and do what they can,” Baun said. Now, after such a hefty investment, taking in Jalen Milroe as a backup QB could be a smart decision for the Eagles.
The post 2844-YD QB Touted as Jalen Hurts Replacement After Nick Sirianni & Eagles’ $51M Zack Baun Decision appeared first on EssentiallySports.
