Jalen Hurts Not Named Eagles Starting QB, HC Says It Will Be Open Competition

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni declined to name Jalen Hurts as his starting quarterback Wednesday.

When asked about the team's starting quarterback situation, Sirianni said it will be an open competition, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Schefter further clarified that Sirianni said he isn't ready to name a starter at any position, including quarterback, since he has only had two days of virtual meetings thus far.

Hurts is the heavy favorite to start in 2021 after starting the final four games last season, but the Eagles also have veteran Joe Flacco on the roster, plus they could draft a quarterback next week at some point.

The Eagles parted ways with a big part of the quarterback equation this offseason when they traded Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts, leaving Hurts as the best option under center.

Hurts began his rookie season as the backup to Wentz after being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft, but he replaced Wentz for the final month of the season after Wentz posted a record of 3-8-1 in 12 starts.

While Hurts went just 1-3 as a starter, he showed some flashes of big-time potential. For the season as a whole, Hurts completed 52.0 percent of his passes for 1,061 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions.

Perhaps most notably, Hurts showed off his elite mobility, rushing for 354 yards and three touchdowns on 63 carries.

Hurts has a lot of developing to do as a passer and must become more accurate, but the 22-year-old is the closest thing the Eagles have to a quarterback of the future, so there is little reason not to give him an opportunity to prove himself.

That the Eagles traded out of the No. 6 spot in this year's draft and down to No. 12 overall suggests they have no plans to take a quarterback in the first round unless someone unexpectedly falls to them.

Philly could instead look into the quarterback options on Day 2 or Day 3, with Florida's Kyle Trask, Stanford's Davis Mills and Texas A&M's Kellen Mond standing out as potential options.

Starting Flacco isn't completely out of the question, either, as the 36-year-old won a Super Bowl MVP award during his time with the Baltimore Ravens, but he has struggled over the past two seasons with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, and he is undoubtedly best utilized as a backup and mentor to Hurts.