After Big Eagles Win In Debut, Jalen Hurts To Remain Starter

PHILADELPHIA, PA — A day after his debut as a starter resulted in a stunning win against the best defense in the NFL, the Eagles announced that rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts will remain at the helm into next week.

Taking over for struggling franchise quarterback Carson Wentz, Hurts led a revitalized Birds squad to a shocking 24-21 upset over the New Orleans Saints Sunday afternoon.

"I'm gonna continue into next week with Jalen as starter," head coach Doug Pederson said during a news conference Monday afternoon, adding that he made the determination after reviewing film from the game. "He was a big part of the success we had on offense, and part of why we won that football game."

Pederson had faced initial criticism for his postgame comments Sunday that some analysts said downplayed the performance of Hurts. There was speculation that he either didn't want to place undue pressure on Hurts, or that he was being considerate of Wentz's status as the franchise's presumptive first choice.

On Monday, he said that was not the case. Rather, he wanted to ensure the entire team was given credit.

"There was a lot of positives (in Sunday's game)," Pederson said, listing off several other players who had excellent performances. "I just didn't want to say it was all about one guy."

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Hurts completed 17 of 30 passes to 167 yards and a touchdown, but it was on the ground where he made the biggest difference, rushing for 106 yards on a series of highly productive scrambles.

Miles Sanders also rushed for 115 yards, including a breakout 82-yard touchdown run that put the Eagles up 17-0 in the second quarter.

Wentz was officially benched last week after a historically bad start, during which he led the NFL in a number of categories including interceptions, fumbles, and sacks.

Now 10-3, the Saints had been widely considered among the favorites to head to the Super Bowl coming into Sunday's game.

The Eagles now sit in 3rd in the NFC East, at 4-8-1, trailing the 5-8 Giants and the 6-7 Washington team. They'll likely need to win out their remaining games to have a chance at the postseason. They face the Cardinals in Arizona next Sunday.