The Philadelphia Eagles are in a tough spot, and the quarterback position sits at the center of it. On the latest episode of the 13 Personnel podcast, Austin Stanley, Easton Freeze, and I dug into the future of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and what a quarterback succession plan could look like in Philadelphia.

This is our read on the situation, not a reported plan from the team. Still, the conversation is worth having. The way this season has gone raises legitimate questions about how general manager Howie Roseman will approach the roster from here.

The state of the Philadelphia Eagles

The outlook for this season is bleak. When we recorded, the Eagles had roughly a 1% chance to win their division, and there isn’t much hope in sight for a turnaround.

The defense has underperformed. The star running back has looked banged up every time he’s on TV, often getting on or off the exercise bike on the sideline to keep his body loose. The quarterback situation behind Hurts has also been untenable. The Tanner McKee buzz from the past couple of years, the fun little hive that formed around the backup, has cooled down tremendously.

That’s where Roseman comes in. He has earned trust for being honest with himself about the state of the franchise. He is as aggressive tearing things down as he is building them up, and we have seen how he structures and spends to construct a championship-caliber roster. With this team where it is, I would expect Philadelphia to adjust significantly.

Hurts is probably part of that conversation, if nothing else from a financial standpoint.

How the Eagles handle quarterback transitions

The Eagles have a track record here. They like to layer their quarterback transitions, bringing in the new guy before moving off the current one. That looks like the most likely and easiest path for Philadelphia this time around.

That approach sets the team up for a potential win-win. Sometimes the new quarterback becomes the guy and takes the mantle. Other times, his arrival lights a fire under the current starter. That starter either keeps the job or helps his own stock, which makes him a more valuable chess piece to move to another team.

Hurts understands that dynamic better than most. He has sat in both of those chairs, in Philadelphia and in college at Alabama. As a multi-year starter for the Crimson Tide, he had Tua Tagovailoa waiting behind him heading into the national title game.

The good thing about Hurts is his mindset and temperament. Even at a young age, he understood the big picture. If the Eagles bring in a young quarterback to develop behind him, Hurts is the type of player who could handle it professionally.

Will Jalen Hurts be in Philadelphia in 2027?

Here’s the thing about this situation. The idea that Hurts eventually won’t be on this Eagles team feels like a matter of when, not if. That doesn’t mean it happens soon.

I think Hurts is going to be in Philadelphia for the 2027 season. The layered-transition approach almost requires it. If the Eagles want to bring in their next quarterback without throwing him into the fire, Hurts is the bridge.

There is also a medical element hanging over everything. None of us on the show are doctors, and it isn’t clear whether Hurts’ blood clot is a chronic issue or a one-off situation that was made worse by a transcontinental flight and by playing through a known clot.

That doesn’t even account for the investigation being conducted in part with the NFLPA. Whether that is a long-term medical concern once it resolves is a very real question, and it decides to move off of him even trickier.

The writing does appear to be on the wall in Philadelphia eventually. If you ask me, though, the most likely path is a patient one, with Hurts still under center while the Eagles line up what comes next. We will see how things play out once Roseman starts reshaping this roster.