Let’s get one thing straight. You can’t be a good leader unless you lead by example. Therefore you have to be good at what you do or noone is going to follow you. That’s why the team captains on any given team are usually the best players on that team. Can you think of an historically iconic leader who wasn’t particulary good at his sport?
Tim Tebow was one of the greatest leaders in college football history. Why? Because he was one of the greatest quarterbacks in college football history. But he didn’t have the talent to play at the NFL level consistently. So what happened? Did he all of the sudden lose his leadership qualities after he graduated from Florida? Of course not. He just couldn’t make it as a starting quarterback at the NFL level, even as a back-up and trust me, nobody sings the praises of the clipboard guy with the hat on backwards after an epic, gut-wrenching, character building comeback win. Those accolades are usually bestowed upon the guy who made it happen on the field, the guy who led by example.
That’s why Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has left no doubt as to the validity of his leadership skills with his latest “coup” if you will. I think winning a Super Bowl MVP and taking your team to two title games in three years will do that. His latest act of leadership is just part of his mantra, “It’s just what the eph I do”. He saw a teammate who was going through a bit of a turbulent patch and reached out as good leaders do.
Shortly after the Super Bowl Birds’ tight end Dallas Goedert’s future with the team was hanging in the balance, as he was entering the final year of his contract with no guaranteed money left. But it wasn’t his agent or GM or colleague who reached out to give him some clarity on the situation, it was his quarterback.
As negotiations painfully dragged on, Hurts quietly stepped in and reminded his tight end he mattered.
“He didn’t really recruit me back, but he made me feel like I was an important part of the team,” Goedert told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I was important to him, and that was obviously a really good feeling.”
That call meant everything. While Goedert spent time back home with his family in Britton, South Dakota, unsure if he’d still be in midnight green, Hurts made sure he felt grounded in something deeper than the business of football.
Hurts’ Leadership Off the Field
Hurts isn’t a boisterous leader. Never has been. He’s not about headlines or hype videos or anything that doesn’t focus on the team. He leads through presence, poise, timing and example.
Reaching out to Goedert during a moment of contract limbo wasn’t required. But it showed exactly why Hurts is the heartbeat of the Birds’ locker room.
And that quiet leadership had impact. In early May, Goedert agreed to a restructured $10 million deal, locking him in for an eighth season with the Eagles. At OTAs, the chemistry between the two looked stronger than ever. Hurts targeted Goedert more than any other receiver in open practices including a rare OTA deep ball that turned heads.
“I’ve got so much confidence in him, and I think that’s reciprocated the other way, too,” Goedert said. “Playing with a quarterback that you’re comfortable with was also important to me.”
Respect Forged in Battle
This isn’t just a quarterback-tight end connection – it’s a partnership, one forged through injuries, playoff runs, Super Bowl success and long hours of offseason work.
Goedert led the Eagles in receiving during last season’s post-season run to a Super Bowl title, catching 17 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown. His abusive 24-yard touchdown, via a multitude of stiff-arms of Green Bay cornerback Carrington Valentine in the playoff opener was an instant classic. Even after missing seven regular-season games due to a knee injury, Goedert still managed 496 yards and two touchdowns plus a major impact in the run game.
With him on the field, the Eagles averaged 6.3 yards per designed run play. Without him, just 4.9. That’s a security blanket, battering ram, a trusted weapon, and Hurts knows it.
Eagles Running It Back With the Brotherhood Intact
Now with 10 of 11 offensive starters returning, the Eagles are betting on continuity, chemistry, and culture to fuel another Super Bowl run. That includes keeping one of their longest-tenured playmakers in the fold.
“For us to have the people that we have on the team sign and with the window that we’re in right now, it’s really exciting to be a part of that,” Goedert said.
But the real win might be what happened off the field. When things got cloudy, Hurts provided the clarity. When the business got cold, Hurts fueled the much-needed fire.
That’s not just a leader. That’s a difference-maker.
And that’s why Jalen Hurts is the unquestioned face and voice of his championship franchise.
