Donovan McNabb endorses Jalen Hurts as Eagles quarterback: 'Everywhere he's been, he's won'

McNabb believes Hurts can be successful in Philadelphia

Count Donovan McNabb as a supporter of Jalen Hurts. McNabb, who has had some thoughtful comments toward Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks that has generated controversy amongst the fan base, had a bit of praise for the second-year quarterback as Hurts enters his first season as the team's starter. 

Hurts is auditioning for the Eagles' franchise quarterback job, and McNabb believes he has the one tool that can land him the gig. 

"You want to be labeled as a winner. Everywhere he's been, he's won," McNabb said to Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press. "He won at Alabama. Graduate transfer, then goes to Oklahoma and learns a new offense and won there. He's comes in to Philadelphia and has some splash plays and did a great job for the Eagles when he started. 

"Now he's going to be a full-time starter, so do I expect anything different? Absolutely not. I know the work he put in this offseason and who he worked with. Now he just has to build the chemistry with the coaching staff, chemistry throughout that offense with the rest of the players. Does he have enough pieces around him to be successful is the question?"

The Eagles were 4-11-1 last year, finishing last in a dreadful NFC East. Hurts took over the starting quarterback job from Carson Wentz in Week 14 of the 2020 season, going 1-3 in his four starts. Hurts completed 51.9% of his passes (69-for-133) for 919 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions for a 77.2 passer rating, also having 46 carries for 272 yards and three touchdowns in those four starts. 

Philadelphia had one of the worst offenses in the NFL last year, which didn't bode well for Hurts -- or Wentz. McNabb pointed out the offensive line and its ability to stay healthy along with the uncertain future clouding Zach Ertz. 

"There's a lot of questions surrounding the offense," McNabb said. "For this football team, there are a lot of pieces to the puzzle that need to be fitted in the right way before you can even focus on Hurts." 

The Eagles selected DeVonta Smith with the 10th overall pick in the draft to give Hurts the top wide receiver the team coveted, which eluded Wentz throughout his time in Philadelphia. Miles Sanders is also entering his third year as the team's top running back, as the Eagles are hoping he can take the next step and become one of the game's best. 

Clearly McNabb thinks Hurts has the tools to succeed in Philadelphia, but will the Eagles offense be good enough to help him become the franchise quarterback? Those answers will be revealed in 2021, along with whether the Eagles have enough faith in Hurts to lead this team going forward.