ORLANDO, Fla. — Eagles owner Jeff Lurie is a champion of authenticity.
Especially in his head coach and franchise quarterback.
During the Eagles’ free fall at the end of the 2023 season, there was a lot of footage of the tough-looking Jalen Hurts and the wild man Nick Sirianni standing on the sideline.
Two sides of the spectrum, both real.
“That’s who he is,” Lurie said of Hurts. “The worst part is that he tries to be something when he’s 24, 25 years old. Just be who he is. He’s a great, great role model. There’s a time for stoicism.
“When we were 10-1, people said, ‘Oh, he’s so proven that the reason we lost a few close games was because of Jalen’s stoicism and calm in the storm. I love the way Jalen does it. I think he has his own style.”
What Lurie said is certainly true. Most saw Hurts’ calm demeanor as a big plus when the team was successful. However, when things started to deteriorate last season, there were reports that some wanted Hurts to be a bit more of an outside leader. Ah, maybe that helped.
Hearts didn’t play well until 2023, but then again no one played. That’s why the Eagles have lost six of their last seven games. But Lurie gave Hurts a lot of confidence on Tuesday.
“He’s really respected for who he is, so he’ll adapt and lead the way,” Lurie said. “You have a 25-year-old player. I think you want to enhance who they are, not try to mold them into someone they’re not. He’s an extraordinary leader.”
Lurie is the organization’s chief executive and preached reliability at the NFL Owners Conference in Orlando on Tuesday. Hurts is only 25 years old and could still grow and change, but Lurie doesn’t want Hurts to look or sound like a great leader that some think he is. He wants Lurie to let Hurts be himself.
He also wants Sirianni to be himself…most of the time.
The hot-headed head coach has a reputation for repeatedly blowing gaskets on the sideline. The act can seem a little flimsy at times.
“I think, first of all, one of the aspects that makes Nick really great is that he’s genuine. He doesn’t hold back,” Lurie said. “That can sometimes be a negative thing. As a bystander, you don’t want to infuriate the referees. I’m always worried about them, because I want them to make fair decisions. I mean, I don’t want to overreact. But I love his passion.
“So I think he realizes that taking his passion too far can be a little counterproductive. But he doesn’t want to stop that passion from coming from.” You have to find a spot. I think he wants to find what that feels like, the sweet spot. But I love his passion.”
Sirianni is in his fourth season as a head coach and has spent most of his life around football. Therefore, his personality does not change overnight. Lurie’s words shouldn’t come as a shock, as even Sirianni admits he gets “too nervous” at times on the sideline.
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