‘Jalen Hurts Is on Notice'

Philadelphia Eagles rookies and veterans formally open training camp on July 28. While it's an opportunity to work on all three phases of the game ahead of the 2026 NFL season, fans and media like will be hyper-focused on the offense - and quarterback Jalen Hurts in particular.

There's a real glass half-full/half-empty feel to this team. On the plus side, the Eagles are the first team to win back-to-back NFC East titles in two decades. On the minus side, after going 11-6 and losing in the first round of the playoffs, this team looked nothing like the 2024 version that went 14-3 before destroying the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.

After lingering speculation about a toxic on-field relationship between Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown, the Eagles finally pulled the trigger last month and traded Brown to the New England Patriots.

Now that Hurts won't be feeling the pressure to keep Brown happy with targets, will that outweigh the loss of having such a productive player in the lineup?

Year 7 loading… pic.twitter.com/nVjkN8gyMg

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) July 1, 2026

Time will tell. In five seasons as Philly's starting quarterback, Hurts has consistently played well, yet his penchant to go off-script has occasionally frustrated head coach Nick Sirianni, and there remains a good-sized contingent of NFL analysts who are not ready to call Hurts an elite QB.

He'll be closely watched in 2026.

"Jalen Hurts is on notice: Do it their way," said one rival scout. "The Eagles have sent several unsubtle messages to Hurts through the media. They want him to play within their system and not freelance. He has taken the high road so far."

Those comments appear in the Athlon Sports 2026 NFL Preview magazine, which is available online and at newsstands nationwide.

Hurts completed 64.8% of his passes last season for 3,224 yards, 25 touchdown passes, six interceptions and a passer rating of 98.5, adding 421 yards and eight more touchdowns on the ground.

Hurts already has 63 career rushing touchdowns, third on the all-time list behind Josh Allen (79) and Cam Newton (75). Hurts has 10 career rushing touchdowns in the postseason, most among all active players.

Despite the success, it will be fascinating to see how he does this season without Brown. With DeVonta Smith still in the picture, he's got a reliable No. 1 target. The receiving room was bolstered this offseason with additions of first-round draft pick Makai Lemon and veteran acquisitions Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown.

Perhaps the most important addition is the hiring of new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who will be the team's sixth offensive coordinator in Hurts' now seven seasons as an Eagle (including 2020, when head coach Doug Pederson was the de facto OC).

Mannion has worked under three of the most respected offensive head coaches in the NFL for the last nine years; he was the quarterbacks coach the last two years for Matt LaFleur with the Green Bay Packers. Over the previous seven seasons, Mannion was a backup quarterback playing for Kevin O'Connell's Minnesota Vikings and Sean McVay's Los Angeles Rams.

Even with all the attention on Mannion and Hurts, true success for the Eagles might come down to the performance of running back Saquon Barkley. After rushing for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2024, those numbers were nearly cut in half last season - 1,140 yards and seven rushing TDs.

"Saquon Barkley is a true impact runner," the rival scout said. "They need a huge year from him."

Related: Athlon Sports 2026 NFL Preview Magazine Now Available

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This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 11:53 AM.