Sirianni declines to name Jalen Hurts as starting QB, for now originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
When the Eagles sent ex-franchise quarterback Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts earlier this offseason in exchange for a pair of draft picks, it appeared 2020 second-round pick Jalen Hurts would be Philadelphia's starter both in the present and the future.
Not so fast.
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During a pre-draft media availability on Wednesday, Eagles first-year head coach Nick Sirianni would not commit to Hurts as the team's starter for 2021 just yet.
"To name any starters at this particular time, we’ve been working with these guys for two days. Right? My biggest thing is competition," Sirianni said.
The new Eagles head coach's response came after Eagles GM Howie Roseman was asked if Philadelphia's trade with the Dolphins -- where the Eagles moved back from sixth to No. 12 overall -- was an indication that Hurts would be the team's starter moving forward.
Roseman gave a non-answer but did not say Hurts would be the team's QB1, either.
"We’re going to evaluate every player and nothing is off the table," Roseman said.
The non-committal answers from Roseman and Sirianni would be a much bigger deal had Philadelphia not traded back in the first round. Originally holding the No. 6 overall pick in the draft, the Eagles likely would have been able to take one of the consensus top five passers (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Mac Jones and Trey Lance) with that selection.
Now, at No. 12, there's a chance all five of the first-round QBs will be off the board by the time it's the Eagles turn to pick.
As of now, the Eagles have Hurts and veteran Joe Flacco under contract. Unless they select a quarterback in the draft, those will be the two passers that will be active on game days in the fall.
If Flacco beats out Hurts, somehow or someway, the Eagles are in loads of trouble. But, they might already be anyway.
