PHILADELPHIA — Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman declined to name Jalen Hurts the starting quarterback for the 2021 season during a pre-draft availability Wednesday.
“To name any starters at this particular time, we’ve been working with these guys for two days,” Sirianni said. “My biggest thing is competition. We’ve talked a little bit about my core values, [and] it’s my second core value, it’s this team’s second core value. Competition is a huge thing, and we’re going to have competition at every position.”
There are only two quarterbacks on the Eagles’ roster at the moment: Hurts and veteran Joe Flacco, who was signed to a one-year deal in March. The team could add another QB in next week’s draft.
Roseman did not rule out selecting a quarterback in the first round, even after a trade with the Miami Dolphins that moved the Eagles from the No. 6 to the No. 12 spot in exchange for a future first-round pick.
“Like we talked about when we had our last media opportunity, we’re going to evaluate every player, and nothing is off the table,” he said.
Roseman added that when the San Francisco 49ers moved up to the third spot, they knew three quarterbacks would be taken with the first three picks, allowing Philadelphia “to lock in even more on who the guys would be available at 12.” The Eagles have need at multiple spots, including cornerback and receiver, and should have a shot at landing one of the top prospects at each position with so many quarterbacks being taken early.
Hurts started four games for the Eagles last season following the benching of Carson Wentz and provided a spark to the offense before cooling off down the stretch. He completed 52% of his passes for 1,061 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions, and ran for 354 yards and three scores.