Rising NFL quarterback’s praise for Jalen Hurts quickly takes a left turn

Houston Texans' rising star C.J. Stroud ranked his current top five NFL quarterbacks during an appearance on the "Million Dollaz Worth of Game'' podcast.  Stroud dubbed Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, himself, Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts as the NFL's top quarterbacks.  But then things took a left turn as Stroud quickly changed his mind and […]

Kelsey Kramer College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) throws against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of a 2024 NFC wild card game at Raymond James Stadium.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Texans' rising star C.J. Stroud ranked his current top five NFL quarterbacks during an appearance on the "Million Dollaz Worth of Game'' podcast. 

Stroud dubbed Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, himself, Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts as the NFL's top quarterbacks. 

But then things took a left turn as Stroud quickly changed his mind and posted his final list on Instagram. 

Stroud kept Mahomes, Jackson, and himself in the top three, added Josh Allen at No. 4, and moved Prescott to No. 5, pushing Hurts off his top QB list. 

via Instagram/@cj7stroud 
via Instagram/@cj7stroud 

I'm sure that stings a bit for some Eagles fans, but if his list is based on last year's results, then who can blame him? 

The Eagles, with Hurts leading the way, dropped a 10-1 perfect start to the regular season last year. 

Despite a downfall 2023 season, Hurts finished with 3,858 passing yards and 23 touchdowns for a 65.4% completion rate. He also added another NFL record-high 15 touchdowns on the ground. Still, that wasn't enough to help the Eagles finish strong. 

His performance was also not enough to make Strouds' top-five list. 

Hurts and the Eagles now have a lot to prove in 2024, though that shouldn't be too hard after they bolstered both sides of the ball through NFL free agency and the draft. 

They also shook up their coaching staff with new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. 

Additionally, the team appears to be bonding better this early in the offseason which is something they lacked last year. 

Stroud might ultimately end up regretting bumping Hurts out of his top five, but being the sixth-best in the league isn't too bad either.