So, picture this: Jalen Hurts, the guy who once faced doubts about his quarterbacking chops, just wrapped up a season for the ages. He led the Eagles to a commanding 40–22 victory over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, earning MVP honors with 221 passing yards, three touchdowns, and a record-setting 72 rushing yards for a quarterback in the big game.

Like, every time you blink, he’s checking off another milestone. It’s not just a good year—it’s one of those years where everything he touches turns to gold. And why not? Just a couple of years back, the 26-year-old QB suffered a tough Super Bowl loss against the Chiefs. But does that shake his confidence? Absolutely not.

In fact, the guy’s out there making waves not just on the gridiron but outside of the NFL world as well. Super Bowl win? Done. And now? Well, if you’re thinking that he’s going to stop here, think again. In fact, Philly’s QB has been selected to the 2025 TIME100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Yeah, you read that right. ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news on his official ‘X’ handle on Wednesday.

Hurts is one of the few athletes to make the Time 100 list of the most influential people in 2025. Thanks to that, Time put the Eagles’ QB under the “Icons” category among the likes of Demi Moore, Adrien Brody, Gisèle Pelicot, Hiroyuki Sanada, Angeline Murimirwa, David Muir, Raquel Willis, Bobbi Brown, Anthony D. Romero, Yoshiki, Amy Griffin, Léon Marchand, and Fatou Baldeh.

Right after that went down, the baseball legend Derek Jeter couldn’t help himself and shared a heartfelt message for Jalen Hurts. “I admire how great athletes deal with both success and failure,” Jeter wrote about Hurts. What Jalen Hurts went through in being benched during the 2018 National Championship game would break a lot of people down. But not Jalen; he focused on what he could control and found a new path to success. In the NFL, Jalen didn’t let a Super Bowl defeat in 2023 shake his confidence.

“He used that loss as motivation and kept a picture of himself walking off the field after losing as his phone lock screen. This past February, Jalen found himself on the Super Bowl stage again. This time he led Philadelphia to a convincing victory in its rematch with Kansas City. We connected shortly after, and the only thing he asked about was insight on going back and winning again. Sometimes people win, then exhale. Jalen is not exhaling. He’s embracing the next challenge. Win or lose, Jalen’s resilience and determination offer all of us something to admire.” 

Think about it: Hurts walking off the field after losing the Super Bowl as his phone lock screen. Fast forward a couple of years, and he found himself at the very stage against the same team. But the result? Yeah, it was totally different, and this time it was in favor of him and the Eagles. Pure goosebumps. The catch? Well, it looks like some folks out there are not so happy with Hurts being selected for the 2025 Time 100.

Jalen Hurts got a mixed reaction after being selected for the Time 100

The Philly fans waited two long years to avenge their Super Bowl LVII loss against the Chiefs. And when the time came, Jalen Hurts didn’t disappoint them and thrashed the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. But now that he’s being honored for his performance in one way or another, it looks like not everyone’s handing out confetti.

Right after the TIME100 news dropped, the comment section lit up faster than a Philly cheesesteak on a hot griddle. Some folks were straight-up confused. One said, “But why?”—like Hurts had just randomly shown up on a guest list for a party he didn’t RSVP to. Another chimed in with, “Sure but Howie Mandel made the list too,” which, fair… but also, kinda missing the point? I mean, it’s called Time 100 for a reason, right?

Then came the classic: “List must not be that important then.” Ouch! That’s some serious stuff out there. It’s that kind of comment that pops up everywhere when someone unexpected gets the spotlight. But Jalen Hurts was surely not someone. The guy just had a great football year. And then there was the spicy one: “He had a big football year. I’m not sure how influential he is though? 🤔” Now, that’s the kind of take that makes you stop and think… but also kinda proves why he’s on the list.

After all, there are a few folks (especially Philly fans) out there who are nothing but impressed by Hurts’ latest achievement. “Remarkable impact both on and off the field,” one person commented. That’s what we’ve been talking about, right? The 26-year-old QB is out there making waves both on and off the field. Then came the demand from one fan as they wrote, “He should be #1 on the list.” And why not?

At this point, it’s safe to say that the Eagles’ fans would want their QB to lead every single list. He’s already a Super Bowl champ. He’s already earned the Super Bowl MVP honors. So why not the No. 1 spot on Time 100? But if there was one standout comment that just summarizes Hurts’ performance, then it would be from this guy. “My goat for a reason,” the other guy wrote.

Well, you could say that. The way Eagles are thrashing opponents, it’s safe to say the team’s going to start their dynasty. And no doubt, Jalen Hurts is going to lead them from.