Jalen Hurts: Nick Sirianni, Eagles QB are ‘in a great place’ after not always being on the same page last year

After going through a muggy morning practice to open Eagles training camp, Jalen Hurts tried to turn down the temperature.

Speaking for the first time since The Athletic reported Hurts’ relationship with coach Nick Sirianni was strained during parts of last season, the Eagles quarterback interrupted the first question of his post-practice news conference to address the subject, giving a vote of confidence to Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman, and Sirianni.

“I trust Mr. Lurie, I trust Howie, and I trust coach Sirianni to lead us in the right direction,” Hurts said. “I know there are different roles in place, everybody has different responsibilities, there may be more demands from some than others, but I think to win championships and be the team we want to be, everyone has to buy into their role and everyone has to be fully committed to doing their part in helping the team.”

The ever-important dynamic between Hurts and Sirianni has been subject to scrutiny. Hurts gave measured answers about Sirianni’s job security in January following the team’s late-season collapse and was similarly measured when asked about Sirianni being willing to cede some control of the offense to Kellen Moore at the conclusion of organized team activities early last month, saying he didn’t know how to answer the question.

According to The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, Hurts’ answer to the question “disappointed several key members of the Eagles’ organization.”

On Wednesday, Hurts acknowledged that the 1-6 finish to last season, which ended with a wild-card playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, challenged the dynamic between him and Sirianni and that, at times, they were not on the same page. Still, Hurts repudiated the notion that there’s any lingering discontent between the two of them going into their fourth season together.

“I think we’re in a great place,” Hurts said. “I think any time you have frustration, any time you have any adversity that you have to overcome, it’s supposed to test you. I think it’s a matter of being on the same page. I think if we were on the same page, we maybe would have accomplished the things we would have, and we didn’t, but it’s a learning experience. I think it’s as simple as if, if I made it happen I can make it happen, and this team has made it happen before. I think we can get it done, but it takes what it takes.”

Speaking before practice, Sirianni said he didn’t put much stock into the reporting about him and Hurts’ relationship, pointing to the success the two have had together the last few seasons.

“The only thing you can judge your relationships on is your personal interactions with people,” Sirianni said. “Not any report that comes out. Jalen and I’s relationship is good. You just can judge it based off what your personal interactions are, so when you hear a report like that, you don’t put much stock into it because quite frankly not everybody sees that.”

“Just looking forward to continuing to work with him,” Sirianni added. “And to continue to build on the special things that we’ve done.”

On the field, the dissonance between Hurts and Sirianni mostly boils down to just how much Moore’s arrival as new offensive coordinator is changing the way the group operates. While Sirianni has pointed out that Moore’s system will “mesh” some of the better parts of the scheme Sirianni authored before him, Hurts said “95% of it” is new at the end of OTAs.

» READ MORE: The 5 biggest questions heading into Eagles training camp

On Wednesday, Hurts said some might not agree with his sentiment because they don’t deal with as much of the offense as he does as the signal caller.

“Everyone has a different opinion on that statement, but everybody is not the quarterback,” Hurts said. “For me and my job and what I’m asked to do, I can see those differences from my vantage point. And I’ve spent a lot of time with that. I’ve spent a lot of time with that and the receivers and the tight ends, just really trying to make it my own. It’s been a really good process, it’s about striving for that consistency and building that feel we want.”

That feeling encompasses more than just an understanding of the scheme. After the team finished conditioning drills at the end of the first practice of training camp Wednesday, Hurts said his message to the team was to build a togetherness that would supersede the talent on the roster.

“Talent wins you games, it’ll take you very far, but it don’t last,” Hurts said. “Teams is what wins championships, and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to take that next step.”