Sean Mannion's Endorsement of Jalen Hurts Is Positive Development Eagles QB Will Master New Offense

First impressions are always a strong suit.

That's the vibe new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion is grasping with Jalen Hurts, as the coach and the quarterback have gotten off on the right foot.

Hurts is learning another new offense and having his seventh play caller in his seven seasons with the Eagles. The Eagles quarterback is used to change, which may be why Hurts is adaptable to what Mannion is teaching him.

"Jalen's been outstanding in the meetings and I think having gone through multiple coordinators and stuff, you can tell he's a really capable learner," Mannion said. "That's been really fun to work with on a daily basis."

Mannion's offense is still a relative unknown to the outside world, but it's expected to be significantly different than the ones Hurts has been accustomed to in the past.

Based on how the Eagles built their offensive personnel, the passing game will consist of quick passes and strong route runners at wide receiver. The Eagles wide receivers excel between the hashmarks, getting the ball in their hands quickly and making plays after the catch.

This is the past of Hurts' game he has to master. So far, so good.

"I think there's always going to be some degree of connection and like I said, it's a blend of all the things, the things that he's really thrived in here and some of the new things we're bringing to the table." Mannion said. "But it's been a great process to get to really build this thing from the ground up with him and with our staff."

Why Mannion thinks Hurts can confront his biggest 'weakness'

Hurts is efficient in the middle of the field, when he actually throws passes there.

Hurts has thrown just 99 pass attempts between the hashmarks over the last four seasons, even if he's shown success when throwing the ball there. Since the 2022 season, Hurts is 77-of-99 throwing between the hashmarks (77.9%) -- for 855 yards with 10 TD to 3 INT. His 123.7 passer rating is second in the NFL, behind only Lamar Jackson.

So Hurts is good in the middle of the field when he throws there. If there's any signs of reluctancy, Mannion isn't seeing that in meetings.

"Jalen's been awesome. I really think he can do anything we ask of him," Mannion said. "He's accurate. He's a great athlete. He really attacks the fundamentals.

"He's always wanting more things to work on, wanting more things regarding fundamentals, timing, understanding the scheme. He's hungry for more. Those are the guys that are really fun to work with."

Hurts had just 28 passes between the hashmarks last seaosn, but that number is sure to double (at least). The Eagles have DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, and Dontayvion Wicks as their top three wide receivers -- while tight ends Dallas Goedert and Eli Stowers do their most damage in the middle of the field.

There's going to be a lot of balls thrown in that direction. Mannion has no doubt Hurts can do that in his evolution as a quarterback.

"In terms of skillset though, he has great arm strength, great accuracy, obviously a tremendous athlete and he really attacks the game," Mannion said. "He has a great process in the meetings. He always asks really, really thought provoking questions. He's detailed and attacks his fundamentals.

"He's always a guy who stays after practice and is working on things. Those are the guys you love to work with."

There has been a lot of positive development with Mannion and Hurts. The next step is to hear from Hurts and see how all this translates on the practice field.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/eagles/onsi as Sean Mannion's Endorsement of Jalen Hurts Is Positive Development Eagles QB Will Master New Offense.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 4:00 PM.