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PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Eagles appear set to lose another coordinator this offseason, as Kellen Moore is in the driver's seat for the New Orleans Saints head-coaching vacancy. If Moore does leave Philadelphia for a head-coaching job, the front office and head coach Nick Sirianni will have to find another offensive coordinator and play-caller for Jalen Hurts -- in what would be his sixth NFL season.
Not like Hurts isn't used to learning a new offense or having a different play-caller. That's been the case since his freshman year at Alabama, as he's only had one play-caller in consecutive seasons. Hurts has never had the same play-caller that he opened the season with in consecutive years since he left Channelview High School.
Hurts had 11 play-callers in his nine seasons at the college and professional level, an astonishing amount for any quarterback.
Jalen Hurts play-callers -- since freshman year at Alabama (2016)
| Year | Play-caller(s) | School/Team |
|---|---|---|
2016 | Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian | Alabama |
2017 | Brian Daboll and Mike Locksley | Alabama |
2018 | Mike Locksley and Josh Gattis | Alabama |
2019 | Lincoln Riley | Oklahoma |
2020 | Doug Pederson | Eagles |
2021 | Nick Sirianni and Shane Steichen | Eagles |
2022 | Shane Steichen | Eagles |
2023 | Brian Johnson | Eagles |
2024 | Kellen Moore | Eagles |
There are a combination of factors at play into why Hurts keeps having different play-callers. Kiffin was hired at Florida Atlantic and Sarkisian at Texas. Locksley was hired at Maryland, as coaches were hired in all three years Hurts was at Alabama, a product of the Crimson Tide winning national championships and other schools looking to bring their coaches to resurrect their respective programs. Even Daboll was lured back to the NFL to be the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator.
Hurts was at Oklahoma for just one season before going to the NFL Draft. He's had five different play-callers in five seasons with the Eagles, the first being Pederson as he was fired after Hurts' rookie year (Hurts was the QB2 for the majority of the season and took over at the end of the year).
Sirianni gave up play-calling duties in October of his rookie season as a head coach and allowed Steichen (his offensive coordinator) to take the reins. Steichen is the only coordinator Hurts had as his primary play-caller for back-to-back seasons, and in that second year with Steichen he finished second in MVP voting. Steichen was hired by the Indianapolis Colts as their head coach after the Eagles advanced to the Super Bowl.
Hurts had Brian Johnson as his offensive coordinator in 2023, but Johnson was fired as a result of the team's collapse at the end of the season -- resulting in a wild-card playoff loss. Sirianni established a new role and gave up his involvement in the offense to Kellen Moore, who was hired to be the team's offensive coordinator, offensive designer and play-caller.
The Eagles are going to the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons, and Moore interviewed for several jobs during the playoffs. Moore is favored to land the Saints' coaching job, a clear indicator of Hurts helping another coordinator earn a well-deserved promotion.
Even with all the play-callers Hurts has worked with since high school, he is 88-20 as a starter since his freshman year at Alabama. He's won a national championship, been a Heisman Trophy finalist and has won two NFC championships in his first five seasons in the NFL.
Hurts is only 26 years old and has two Super Bowl appearances on his resume, the first quarterback since Patrick Mahomes to advance to two Super Bowls as a starting quarterback in his first five seasons. Hurts is also one of just five quarterbacks to start in two Super Bowls before turning 27 years old.
While having a lot of play-callers doesn't help Hurts develop, he's proven he can still win no matter who is calling plays. This is a testament to Hurts and his ability to adapt as a quarterback, and knowing winning is the only thing that matters.
Hurts and his teams win, so coaches get hired and promoted to new jobs. This is part of the ever-changing cycle in big-time college football and the NFL. Hurts just happens to be a victim of his own success.
