The Philadelphia Eagles had a disappointing end to their 2023-24 NFL season. They lost five of their last six games, including a wild card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, they have a lot of issues to address before the start of the 2024 NFL season. 

One of those issues is seeing just how good QB Jalen Hurts is. Most people believe he regressed significantly in 2023 compared to 2022. However, one NFL analyst had strong words to describe Hurts’ perception around the NFL. 

Chriss Simms, a former NFL quarterback, had choice words to describe Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts. According to Jillian Nachtigal of Pro Football Network, Simms described Hurts as the “most overrated player in football.” Simms seems to believe that Hurts gets too much credit for the success that the Eagles did have. 

The Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line made headlines this past season due to one play that seemed unstoppable. This play was nicknamed the “Tush Push.” It essentially had the offensive line powering their way forward for Hurts to gain the short yardage needed for a first down. 

Just how well did this play work? The Eagles attempted 26 fourth down conversions in the 2023-24 NFL season. Of those 26 attempts, Philadelphia converted 19 of them. That added up to a 73.1% conversion rate which led the NFL. 

There is no doubt that Hurts regressed from 2022 to 2023. For starters, he went from a quarterback who came up just short of winning the Super Bowl to getting knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. However, Hurts’ stats dropped off as well. 

Hurts threw 15 interceptions in 2023 compared to just six in 2022. Plus, he went from 760 rushing yards in 2022 to 605 rushing yards in 2023. If that was not enough, he also had a rocky relationship with offensive coordinator Brian Johnson after Shane Steichen moved on to Indianapolis. 

Now, Hurts has his third different offensive coordinator in three seasons after the Eagles fired Johnson and hired Kellen Moore. Plus, Hurts may lose center Jason Kelce if he decides it is time to retire. If anything, the Eagles’ collapse to end this season may be a sign of hard times to come for Philadelphia. It is up to Nick Sirianni to right the ship in 2024. 

We’ve seen both good and bad times as Philadelphia Eagles fans. Heck, we’ve seen good and bad times during the past two coaching eras. Doug Pederson and Nick Sirianni have both led the Birds to a Super Bowl appearance. Dougie P’s staff took care of business, and… well… we know how things turned out in Super Bowl LVII.

As great as both coaches were, there’s one area we can point to as an area of concern with both regimes. Both of their staffs relied too heavily on free-agent acquisitions and failed to coach up some of the diamonds in the rough that were on their respective rosters.

If the Eagles are going to establish themselves as one of the consistent and model franchises, they need these young guys to step up. They need to hit on their draft choices and get their coaches to coach them up.

They have some obvious building blocks. Our fingers are crossed. Here are a half-dozen that we feel are up to the task.

Tyler Steen, right guard?

Tyler Steen’s lone start in 2023 came versus one of Philly’s fiercest rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. He held serve. He even pounced on a fumble that could have led to disaster if he hadn’t.

If Jason Kelce retires, which is possible, and if Cam Jurgens replaces him as Philly’s center (also possible), there’s a chance that Steen can win the job at right guard.
Friends… No one should worry if that’s how things work out. Keep an eye on this young man. Keep an eye on the other guys on this list as well