Former NFL QB Calls Out Eagles' Jalen Hurts After AJ Brown Trade

Now that the dust has settled on the blockbuster trade that sent star wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and 2027 fifth-round pick, all eyes are now on Jalen Hurts.

The Eagles signal-caller won't have his No. 1 weapon to rely on any more.

And while the team added several new weapons this offseason - WRs Dontayvion Wicks, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, Elijah Moore, and rookie Makai Lemon, plus rookie tight end Eli Stowers - there's no replacing Brown's production over the last four seasons (339 receptions, 5,034 yards, 32 touchdowns).

Beyond losing Brown's playmaking ability, Hurts will have to adapt his play style while he breaks in his new group of pass-catchers and develops a rapport with new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.

Those changes are why former NFL QB-turned-ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky thinks next season could be a challenge for Hurts as more of the team's successes and failures will fall on him. Orlovsky challenged Hurts to prove he can rise to the occasion.

"[Hurts] has got to learn how to play quarterback in a completely different way," Orlovsky said on the "Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday. "… It's been (shotgun) and RPO. Now he's going to have a much more wordier offense, break the huddle, and go under center. It's just very different.

"… You have to play on time in this offense, and your feet tell you when and where to throw the football. That just takes a while to master. I'm not betting against him, it's just going to be very different for him. Totally different, completely different experience."

To Orlovky's point, last season under former offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, the Eagles ran a high-volume of shotgun plays and run-pass options while relying heavily on speed and athleticism.

But Mannion's system is vastly different. A Sean McVay disciple, Mannion's offensive philosophy tends to run more plays from under center, incorporate pre-snap motion, and rely more on skill and timing than pure speed and playmaking.

And without Brown down field to win contested catches and rack up yards after the catch, the Eagles and Hurts will have to count on DeVonta Smith, Lemon, and others to be where they're supposed to be and execute the plays as they're drawn up.

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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 2:57 PM.