Jalen Hurts showed up to Eagles training camp this week and did what he always does — served up a quote that sounds like it came off a motivational calendar and dared anyone to smirk about it.
Speaking about the team’s mindset heading into the 2026 season, Hurts summed it up in eight words that felt deliberate, maybe even pointed.
“The mentality is 100 percent alignment, zero entitlement.”
It’s the kind of thing that gets mocked online — fans love to crack jokes about Hurts sounding like a fortune cookie or a LinkedIn post come to life. But inside the building, that language matters. After a 2025 season that went off the rails in a hurry, the Eagles need a reset. Badly.
Last season was a mess
Let’s be real about what happened. Hurts took a major step backward as a passer. He was hesitant, inaccurate at times, and seemed unwilling to push the ball downfield. The offense cratered. Kevin Patullo got fired after one disastrous year as offensive coordinator. Sean Mannion is the new guy tasked with fixing it.
The AJ Brown situation finally boiled over too. Brown’s disconnect with the team became impossible to ignore, and the Eagles shipped him to New England this offseason. That move alone changed the entire feel of the locker room.
So when Hurts talks about alignment and entitlement, he’s not just saying words. He’s drawing a line. Last year, that line got blurred. Brown wanted the ball more. The offense couldn’t find a rhythm. Hurts pressed. Nothing worked.
What’s different now
Saquon Barkley’s still here, which helps. But expecting him to replicate his 2024 season — where he looked like the best back in football — might be asking too much. The Eagles need a scheme that makes sense and a quarterback who trusts it.
Mannion’s job is to rebuild that trust. The Eagles still have talent. They’ve got weapons. They’ve got a line that can dominate. But none of it matters if the guy under center isn’t confident or the locker room isn’t bought in.
Hurts’ message this week was essentially: figure it out together or don’t bother showing up.
The Eagles open the season September 13 at home against the Washington Commanders. That’s a game they should win. It’s also a game that will tell us a lot about whether this team actually absorbed Hurts’ words or just nodded along.
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