Jalen Hurts faces a new wave of criticism from a surprising voice
Hurts is what we'd refer to as a survivor. He's mentally tough. If he weren't, he would have been broken by the pressure a long time ago, but again, most of what we know we have known for a while. And, we're going to learn a lot more about him this season.
How does he handle success? He's hanging out with Michael Jordan and other great athletes from their respective sports. You've all seen him. He's in commercials. He's the reigning Super Bowl MVP. He and his teammates just received their rings, and now, Hurts has to lead that team again, one that was dubbed the best in any sport at the most recent ESPY Awards.
How does he do it? Who knows? One thing is, however, certain. He'll have his supporters and, of course, his doubters. Hearing from both isn't anything new, but we were recently surprised by the source of some of the doubt.
Cam Newton offers some surprising criticism of Jalen Hurts
If there's anyone on the planet who would understand what Jalen Hurts has endured, it would have to be Cam Newton. After all, who knows more about navigating tons of criticism? Known for his brash nature and cannon arm, Newton provided both evolution and revolution at the quarterback position before all those years of running over linebackers finally caught up to him.
These days, it feels like Newton is more visible than when he was playing. Why does it feel like he has four podcasts?
4th&1 With Cam Newton, we're familiar with. We've checked that out a couple of times. During a recent broadcast, he left Jalen Hurts off his list of the top ten NFL quarterbacks.
Has anyone else noticed something? Everyone who leaves Hurts off their ranking and everyone who ranks him too low seems to know they have to explain why. Newton's criticism seems surprising. Many of his criticisms about Jalen Hurts mirror the criticisms that were shared about him.
And, by the way... Why do so few people realize that great quarterbacks have great teammates? Didn't Joe Montana and Steven Young have Jerry Rice on the outside? Didn't Peyton Manning have Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne?
Hurts will press on. Again, he's now a Super Bowl champion and the game's reigning MVP. He's married. He'll be a likely league MVP candidate this season.
He's stoic and expressive. He's both a pocket passer and a scrambler. Be prepared. He will use the criticism as fuel, as he has always done. Greatness is on the horizon for the 2025-26 Eagles season.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Cam Newton questions Jalen Hurts' validity as a top ten quarterback
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Are fans of the Boston Celtics really okay with seeing Marcus Smart as a Los Angeles Laker?
Are fans of the Boston Celtics really okay with seeing Marcus Smart as a Los Angeles Laker? There has been plenty of deserved support for the Flower Mound native in the NBA media recently. Especially given it was by no means his fault he stopped playing for the Celtics, Smart having been dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of the three-team deal that landed Boston big man Kristaps Porzingis and helped secure Banner 18. But understanding how the Oklahoma State alum ended up in gold and purple will be different from seeing him play in it. Particularly if that play happens to be part of Los Angeles kicking the Celtics posteriors in what is almost certainly going to be a down year. The hosts of the CLNS Media "The Big Three NBA" podcast, A. Sherrod Blakely, Gary Washburn, and Kwani Lunis, took some time on a recent episode of their show to talk it over. Check it out below! If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network: Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Spotify: iTunes: YouTube: This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Are fans of the Celtics really okay with Marcus Smart as a Laker?
Boston Globe
26 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Patriots mailbag: Fans want to know more about the offensive line, as well as the fight for roster spots at wide receiver
— Dennis Hanson, Maine It's going to be better, for a few reasons. The Patriots are better at right and left tackle than they were last year, provided Moses can stay healthy and Campbell can settle in and develop consistency at left tackle. Jared Wilson has proven himself to be NFL-ready at left guard. They've asked Onwenu to do too much in recent years, but if you keep him at one spot (right guard), I'm confident he'll have a bounce-back year. There are questions at center, but Ben Brown is serviceable if Bradbury is ineffective. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up How much better? That remains to be seen. The last couple of years have seen a perfect storm of poor coaching, health issues, and ineffective play. They've had six offensive line coaches since Dante Scarnecchia left. Advertisement Jared Wilson: Starting center or starting left guard? — Vince, Wilmington Starting left guard. He's managed to distinguish himself in a number of ways over the first week-plus of training camp, including staying on the field through some withering heat. There have been rocky moments while working at center (particularly with center/quarterback exchanges), but he's been impressive at left guard. There's still time between now and the opener, but he's at the top of the depth chart there. What's the most overrated unit on the team, and what's the most underrated? — Michael, Everett I wouldn't go so far as to call them overrated. I don't know if you can have an overrated part of a team that's won eight games in two years. But I'd like to see more out of the offensive line. It feels like they have a good handle on the guard spots with Onwenu and Wilson, but there's still a lot of uncertainty at tackle and center. I don't know if it's just facing a really good defensive front every day, or that the offensive line is struggling. We should know more when joint practices kick off. Advertisement Most underrated is a tie between tight end and linebacker. Players such as Hunter Henry, Robert Spillane, and Jack Gibbens are consistent but not overly splashy, and will play big roles this season. Related : Asking Kyle Williams to be a No. 1 receiver would risk disaster, but he could thrive as a No. 2 if Stefon Diggs stays healthy. DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism, and hopefully Ja'Lynn Polk will see snaps in three- and four-receiver sets. Of the others, is there any trade value at all? Or will teams just laugh and wait for cutdown day? — Adam LaPierre, France Diggs will be your No. 1 receiver. Douglas is well-positioned to be No. 2, for a variety of reasons, My guess? Boutte is a wild card whose chances of making the roster swing day to day. Bourne and Polk appear to be the favorites to make it, while they try to figure out a way to keep Boutte, Baker, and Chism. (Maybe you can get one of them through to the practice squad, and the others gets a case of the Foxborough Flu and go on IR?) The trade value at the end of that depth chart could very well depend on preseason performance. For example, if Boutte or Baker flash in the joint practice and game against Washington, and the Commanders need depth after a possible Terry McLaurin trade, dealing one of them for a Day 3 pick might be possible. Related : Advertisement With the World Cup rapidly approaching, additional modifications need to be made to Gillette Stadium, including installing a grass field. Do you have any idea of what the schedule is for this work? — Jon Strauss, North Andover According to a Patriots spokesperson, there have been some behind-the-scenes alterations at Gillette Christopher Price can be reached at
New York Times
27 minutes ago
- New York Times
One thought on Milton Williams and every player on the Patriots defense
FOXBORO, Mass. — Once again, the New England Patriots defense was ahead of the offense at Monday's practice. The unit has made things difficult for Drake Maye and Josh McDaniels in their first year together. So now, after looking at each offensive player, let's offer one thought on every player on the Patriots defense, a group that enters Wednesday's joint practice against the Washington Commanders with high expectations after outperforming the New England offense through two weeks of training camp. Advertisement Keion White, Edge: His pass-rushing skills are showing up once again. The question is whether he's dependable enough against the run to get 70-plus percent of the defensive snaps now that the Pats' depth is better. Milton Williams, DT: He has been as advertised. Everything you'd want from your highest-paid player, and clearly their top pass rusher. Christian Barmore, DT: Slimmed down, Barmore looks noticeably quicker. That should help, considering his role looks mostly to be in pass-rushing situations. Harold Landry, Edge: There's still warranted skepticism given his 4.8 percent pass-rush win rate last season (which was the lowest among 95 qualifying edge rushers), but he projects as a full-time starter and has looked OK in camp. Khyiris Tonga, DT: The burly lineman takes up space on the interior and will be leaned on in obvious running situations to clog holes and let Robert Spillane make tackles. Jaquelin Roy, DT: Roy made a nice play during the team's scrimmage, but it has been mostly quiet for a guy trying to work his way onto the 53-man roster. Isaiah Iton, DT: A nice run stuff Monday in goal line defense helps his case, but he's likely on the wrong side of the roster bubble entering the preseason games. Jeremiah Pharms Jr., DT: He beat rookie Jared Wilson in one-on-ones Monday, but needs more where that came from in the coming weeks. Joshua Farmer, DT: Has lots of promise, but has been sidelined for the majority of camp. Jahvaree Ritzie, DT: His athletic testing before the draft was off the charts, and these preseason games will be big for him to try to earn a roster spot. David Olajiga, DT: Each player's goal is different entering the preseason, and Olajiga is fighting for a spot on the practice squad. K'Lavon Chaisson, Edge: One of the biggest surprises of camp, Chaisson keeps making life difficult for rookie tackle Will Campbell. Truman Jones, Edge: Hasn't gotten a lot of buzz from the media, but coaches are seemingly impressed, and he was an offseason award winner. Bradyn Swinson, Edge: There are going to be ups and downs for any rookie, but Swinson's highs show he has the potential to be a starter. A good camp for him so far. Advertisement Elijah Ponder, Edge: Dominated one-on-one reps Monday, which is a good sign for his progression to come. Robert Spillane, LB: Not the most athletic guy, but he's always in the right spot and seemingly always around the ball. Christian Elliss, LB: It hasn't been perfect, but he has been good enough to be penciled in as a starter next to Spillane. Anfernee Jennings, LB: Still a dominant run stuffer, but it's just a question of how much this coaching staff will play him. Jahlani Tavai, LB: I wonder if the Pats might be trying to shop Tavai since his role looks to be diminished in this defense. Jack Gibbens, LB: This roster lacks linebacker depth, so Gibbens' spot seems safe. Marte Mapu, LB: It's been a rough camp for a guy who entered on the bubble. He needs a great preseason to make the roster. Cam Riley, LB: He has been the clear No. 6 linebacker, so unless he lands a big role on special teams, it'll be hard to justify a spot on the 53-man roster. Monty Rice, LB: His familiarity with Mike Vrabel should help his chances, but he'll need a strong preseason to make the team. R.J. Moten, LB: He just signed with the team last week, so he's the longest of long shots. Christian Gonzalez, CB: No surprise, but he was dominant before suffering a hamstring injury last week. Now the question is how much time he'll have back at practice before the season opener. Carlton Davis, CB: It has been a weird camp for him so far, getting activated from the PUP list in late July, but missing almost every practice since. Marcus Jones, CB: He still projects to get plenty of playing time in the slot, but Vrabel has been clear that he wants Jones to focus on being a great punt returner. Alex Austin, CB: Nicknamed 'Double A' by Vrabel, Austin had an interception in the scrimmage and will likely make the 53-man roster. Advertisement DJ James, CB: He's been the biggest riser of the secondary so far, and if rosters were due today, he'd be on it. Isaiah Bolden, CB: A full-time move to the slot could help him, but he looks buried on the kick return depth chart, which might've been his best path to a roster spot. Monday pad work 😤 — New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 4, 2025 Brandon Crossley, CB: A nice play during the scrimmage stood out as he seems to get better each week. It could set him up for a practice-squad spot. Marcellas Dial, CB: He was carted off the practice field Monday with what looked like a serious injury, further thinning out the team's cornerback depth. Miles Battle, CB: He has an intriguing athletic profile (he ran a blazing 4.37-second 40) and played well in his lone game for the Pats last season, so he has a chance to make the team with a good preseason. Kobee Minor, CB: Monday's practice summed up the ups and downs of rookie life. He intercepted Joshua Dobbs, but then got posterized later by Javon Baker. Jordan Polk, CB: At 5-foot-10, he might be limited to the slot. He'll try to put together some solid tape and impress teams in the preseason, considering he should get plenty of playing time. Jabrill Peppers, S: He's one of the few players who seems like he'll be a standout on defense for the third year in a row under three different Patriots coaches. Kyle Dugger, S: He's been better than last season, but it would be a stretch to say he looks like the 2023 version of himself. Jaylinn Hawkins, S: His strong play so far has reminded us why he's a great backup safety who could easily earn more time. Craig Woodson, S: Special teams have been important to his playing time and should get him a spot on the game-day roster. Marcus Epps, S: This free-agent signing is looking a bit curious now that he's their No. 5 option at the position. Advertisement Dell Pettus, S: He showed he can play last season, but the number crunch doesn't bode well for him. Josh Minkins, S: His athletic profile is strong, but it's unlikely he'll make this team, which is already set at safety. Brenden Schooler, S: Special teams is always his focus (and where he'll shine), but he'd like to contribute more defensively. (Photos: Eric Canha / Imagn Images)
