Fresh off of defeating the Chiefs for a Super Bowl win, the Eagles are flying high. While it was a team effort, we all know how crucial Jalen Hurts has been for the Eagles over the last few years. He may not always put up the flashy numbers like Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, or even Jared Goff. But he is THE QUARTERBACK that Philadelphia needs. NFL legend Shannon Sharpe even said that Hurts is a problem. A problem for all the other 31 teams But the Eagles. “Jalen Hurts. If you just go back and look at him, all he does is win… If you go back and study him at Alabama, you go back and look at him at Oklahoma, all he does is win. With Hurts under center, the Eagles have little to worry about—but what happens when his contract expires in 2028? Well, it seems Nick Sirianni may have already found the perfect successor.

The Eagles have always had a knack for loading up on talent under center. From Jeff Garcia to Nick Foles, they’ve had their share of QB success stories. Currently, it’s Jalen Hurts running the show—and he’s killing it. Two Super Bowl appearances in just four years? That’s elite territory. Still, one analyst thinks the Eagles could find the next big thing in a ‘poor man’s Jalen Hurts’—a 2,844-yard passer flying just under the radar. Didn’t see that one coming, did you?

So, who is this gunslinger who amassed 2,844 yards and 16 TDs last season? None other than Jalen Milroe. Yep, from the same college Hurts once called home—Alabama. And the similarities don’t end at the first name. We all remember Hurts’ electric run, especially when he made history as the first Bama QB coached by Nick Saban to rush for more than 11 touchdowns in a single season. His 75% completion rate in the 2016 Iron Bowl against Auburn? Unforgettable. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. In 2017, Alabama found itself trailing Georgia in the National Championship. That’s when Tua Tagovailoa stepped in, essentially marking the end of Hurts’ time at Bama. He later transferred to Oklahoma, and honestly? That move might’ve been the best thing for him.

It was a true turning point. Hurts led the Sooners to the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2019, and it shaped his transition into the NFL. Matt Harmon from Yahoo Sports summed it up well: “I thought he was pretty damn good in that last season at Oklahoma and showed a lot more development as a quarterback. I think he kind of got painted a little bit too much with the brush of what he was early in his career.”

And Harmon believes Milroe might be cut from the same cloth—well, sort of. “We didn’t really see that full development from Jalen Milroe. Now, I do think, again, like a ceiling-floor comparison—ceiling comparison is maybe he could be a poor man’s Jalen Hurts because he’s got the tools. The mobility is real. You could design something out of that.” Now Milroe as a Hurts-lite backup? Now that’s a plot twist.

But, of course, there are concerns. Harmon notes, “A floor comparison is, you know, we’re talking about a guy who, maybe people want to switch positions with, at some point. Whether that’s right or wrong, that’s what we’d be talking about with Jalen Milroe.”

Still, Milroe’s mobility is hard to ignore. At his Pro Day, he reportedly ran an unofficial 4.37-second 40-yard dash on his second of two attempts. That’s wide receiver-level speed from a quarterback. And he wasn’t just fast—he was productive too, racking up 16 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions last season for Bama.

Now, with the Eagles’ current QB depth? Yeah, they could definitely use someone like Milroe. Last season, when Hurts went down, Kenny Pickett stepped in—and it didn’t exactly inspire confidence. Philly ended up trading him to Cleveland for Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 2025 fifth-round pick. But DTR isn’t a long-term answer either, and while Tanner McKee showed flashes when injuries hit, he’s still more ‘maybe’ than ‘must-have.’

So what’s the move? The 2025 NFL Draft might hold the key. “I could see somebody on Day 2. Probably Round 3 would be much more acceptable than Round 2.” That’s the current buzz. As of now, Milroe isn’t showing up as a Day 1 pick in any mock drafts. But Harmon points out, “I can’t really think of a team off the top of my head, but we want to maybe develop this guy. We’re a quarterback factory—obviously, that’s what the Eagles branded themselves as. Shoot, maybe he’s the Eagles’ long-term backup quarterback.”

With the Super Bowl champs holding the 32nd overall pick, they’re in a pretty solid position. If Milroe drops as expected, they could snag him in the later rounds. And if he rises sooner than projected? A trade-up isn’t out of the question. A “mini-Hurts” waiting in the wings? That might just be the smartest insurance policy Philly could buy. Also, after the Eagles’ hefty $51 million investment, this sounds like a much better option.

Philadelphia Eagles’ $51 million move

Zack Baun took a chance on himself by signing a one-year deal with Nick Sirianni and Co., and it turned out to be a huge success. Following a Super Bowl victory and an All-Pro season, the Eagles rewarded him with a lucrative three-year, $51 million contract, making him the fourth highest-paid linebacker in the league. “I felt like toward the end of the season, I was playing so confidently that I knew I was going to make a play,” Baun said. “I just couldn’t tell you what it was going to be or when or where, but I’m excited to build off of that confidence and continue to find myself in this scheme.”

Baun, who excelled in Vic Fangio’s defensive scheme, is excited to stay in Philadelphia, seamlessly fitting into the team. With an impressive stat line of 151 tackles, five forced fumbles, and an interception, he became a cornerstone of the NFL’s top-ranked defense. “What we built here, the culture here, and honestly, now that I’m thinking about it, I was just a piece of the puzzle that was put into a great culture already established,” he said.

Just a year ago, Baun was looking for a fresh start, but now he has found a true home in Philly. “We absolutely love it here,” he said. “It’s nice to be here in one place. My wife does a fantastic job of coordinating things for me and my family. I’m just so thankful for where football has taken my life.”

The Eagles have become a sanctuary for players looking to prove themselves, and Baun is a shining example. His remarkable turnaround even led GM Howie Roseman to break his own rule by investing significantly in an off-ball linebacker. “I feel like this team and this place is very good for that and guys that want to sign that one-year, prove-it deal and do what they can,” Baun said. Now, after such a hefty investment, taking in Jalen Milroe as a backup QB could be a smart decision for the Eagles.