Last Wednesday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Tim McManus published a bombshell report on the Philadelphia Eagles’ internal “friction” throughout the 2025 season, reportedly primarily caused by quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Among the many revelations was that Hurts’ “rigid preferences” frustrated his coaches and teammates, including chronically frustrated star wide receiver A.J. Brown.
“Poor body language, not always bought in, not the most coachable, and the players notice,” an unnamed Eagles source told ESPN.
But former NFL head coach Eric Mangini cited another one of Hurts’ alleged preferences as a reason for hefty concern about Hurts’ future as QB1 in Philadelphia.
Monday’s episode of First Things First on FS1 featured a discussion about The Philadelphia Inquirer beat reporter Jeff McLane’s latest episode of “unCovering the Birds,” which combed through the ESPN report. In it, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is quoted as saying the team “would never discuss” extension negotiations with any player and added of Hurts, “He’s in the middle of a new contract.”
McLane reported, “They have no plans to extend his contract. Again, I don’t think, on the surface, that’s a big deal, but from what I understand in talking to people is like, yeah, they want him to know that there’s a reason why they’re not extending his contract.”
“The only way to get to [Hurts] is through the media or social media or through those of us who report on the team,” McLane added. “And that’s what’s happening now. That’s why we’re hearing this probably now more than ever. He’s going into this contract year that is [the last one] fully guaranteed. If he’s not gonna listen, this is the way to get him to listen.”
On First Things First, Mangini was floored.
“I can’t wait to read the 10,000-word article when he gets cut because this doesn’t work,” said Mangini, who won three Super Bowls as a longtime defensive backs coach for the New England. “Maybe he won’t get cut. But I can’t imagine you’re going to sign a guy to a new contract if the only way you can motivate him is not through direct conversation with the coaching staff or the GM or the owner or the players that he plays with — you have to motivate him through an article on ESPN or tweets or podcasts?”
Mangini continued, “I can’t imagine the organization will move forward with him after this year if this is really the case. How could you? How is that any way of legitimate communication between your star player, your face of the franchise, and the rest of the organization, where you need to bring in a third party to do it?”
The Eagles signed Hurts to a five-year contract reportedly worth up to $255 million in April 2023. Next season is the last year with guaranteed money ($51.5 million) owed to Hurts. According to McLane’s Inquirer article from April 2, Hurts is keenly aware of what’s at stake in 2026.
“He knows this is the last year of his guaranteed money,” an anonymous Eagles source told McLane. “He knows the cat’s out on some of his baggage. You got to be able to produce. You can’t be near the bottom of the league in passing two years in a row with the amount of talent that we have. It’s not acceptable. And it’s everybody saying it — from Jeffrey on down. Everybody is on the same page.”
Philadelphia selected Hurts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Hurts was named Super Bowl MVP when the Eagles obliterated the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. But the Eagles’ title defense did not go as planned last year.
The Eagles’ offense sputtered more often than not — leading the NFL in 3-and-outs into December — under since-fired offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. The Eagles finished 11-6 and lost in the NFC Wild Card to San Francisco.
