Jalen Hurts is supposed to be a better passer this season than in previous seasons.

He's even said he feels more "comfortable" within the offense at this point in his career. And despite the Eagles trading for A.J. Brown, Hurts is still being doubted in the eyes of The Ringer.

Currently, The Ringer has Hurts listed as the No. 21-best quarterback in the NFL, behind Baker Mayfield, who was ditched by the Cleveland Browns, and Marcus Mariota, who was a floundering backup for the last few seasons prior to being named Atlanta's starter.

Yes, you read that right.

Hurts is apparently less reliable than Mayfield and a worse quarterback than Mariota. At least he's apparently a little better than Geno Smith — whew.

What The Ringer had to say

Here is The Ringer's rationale for Hurts being so low:

"We’re in year three with Jalen Hurts and I’m still not ready to make any grand declarations on what he could be. The development we’ve seen from his time at Alabama up until now has been impressive, but he still has a long way to go before establishing himself as a good starting quarterback. For now, though, Hurts is certainly a useful one. He is a legitimate threat as a runner, which elevates the Eagles' run game, and he can hit on deep throws to the perimeter. That’s a nice foundation for an NFL offense! Now, if Hurts can just start reading out basic pass concepts and hitting deep crossers off play-action, Philadelphia might have something.

Hurts already seems to have a good grasp on the offense. The Eagles gave him some pre-snap responsibilities during his second season, allowing him to check in and out of runs, and he pulled the right strings for the most part. As things stand, Hurts is an asset on his cheap rookie deal, but he’ll need to take another step forward as a passer if he’s going to earn a big second contract."

Criticism of Hurts is fair. However, to harp on his alleged inability to be a reliable thrower of the football, and put Mayfield ahead of him, is disingenuous.

Hurts may still seem unproven, but he led the Eagles to the playoffs last season. Mayfield couldn't get the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs and didn't play in the final weeks of the season due to injury.

Hurts may not be a top-five quarterback in the NFL right now, but he is definitely better than the 21st-ranked quarterback spot in the league.

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Feature image via Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports.