Don't ask Peyton Manning to rank his top NFL quarterbacks because he's not going to after receiving a salty text from quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Last September, Manning rambled off his top five quarterbacks in the NFL: Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen -- ultimately leaving Hurts off of his list.
It didn't take long for Hurts to send Manning a response.
"I named five guys, and Jalen Hurts texted me like 20 minutes later, 'I didn't make your list?' Now, Jalen's mad at me. So, no list today," Manning said at Fanatics Fest in New York City, New York. "I'm a quarterback fan. I know how hard it is to play. So, I pull hard for quarterbacks. No list this year."
Sure, Hurts was probably just messing with Manning, but there's no doubt being doubted had to sting a little.
It’s also important to keep in mind that Hurts and the Eagles entered this past season with a lot to prove in the moment that Manning was thinking of quarterbacks. Just a year ago, the Eagles had unraveled after a dominant 10-1 start, raising questions about their ability to finish strong when it mattered most.
Fast forward to now, and it’s difficult to make a case against Hurts being in anyone’s top five. After leading Philadelphia on a championship run that ended with a Super Bowl LIX victory, he’s more than answered the critics and solidified his place among the league’s elite quarterbacks.
Sure, Hurts might not light up the stat sheet like some of the legends, but the guy just knows how to win. Even with the Eagles stumbling late in the 2023 season, he still led them to an 11-6 record and grabbed his second straight Pro Bowl nod.
The year before? He had them at 14-3 and in the Super Bowl, putting up over 3,700 passing yards, 760 on the ground, and 35 total touchdowns.
He’s 34-17 as a starter over the last three years, and in 2023 alone, he pulled off five fourth-quarter comebacks. Winning doesn’t always get the flashy headlines, but with Hurts running the show, the Eagles are always in the mix.
