Jalen Hurts gets labeled as ‘biggest diva in sports’ by fans after new details emerge about QB and Eagles OC

Jalen Hurts has copped criticism from fans for the Philadelphia Eagles' epic collapse this year. Hurts transformed from a favorite to win the MVP award to the scapegoat for their late-season struggles in the space of a few weeks.

The Eagles opened the 2023 NFL season by winning 10 of their first 11 games. Their offense looked unstoppable as Hurts appeared to be on his way to winning MVP after making it to the Super Bowl the year before. Something changed from that point forward as they finished the year by losing six of their final seven games, including in the playoffs.

The collapse was capped by being destroyed 32-9 in the wild-card round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with their offense looking completely lost.

The offensive issues became a glaring issue down the stretch as the Eagles often seemed out of rhythm and generally dysfunctional. And NFL reporter Ralph Vacchiano may have found out one of the main reasons why.

Vacchiano recently reported that Jalen Hurts and offensive coordinator Brian Johnson struggled to get on the same page, specifically in their play-calling. Hurts allegedly changed many of the plays in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage because he disagreed with the offensive philosophy that Johnson was trying to execute.

Following Vacchiano's report, many fans went on X to blast Hurts for his role.

The play-altering apparently happened most often later in the season, when the Eagles were in the middle of their collapse. It's unclear exactly if this is what caused their overall struggles, but Hurts recorded just one multi-touchdown passing game in the final seven weeks.

How long has Brian Johnson coached Jalen Hurts?

Brian Johnson

Brian Johnson was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021 to take over as their quarterbacks coach, but his relationship with Jalen Hurts goes back much further than that. Johnson has reportedly known Hurts for more than 20 years and has a personal relationship with his family. Jalen's father, Averion Hurts, coached Johnson when he was in high school.

Their relationship had no influence on Johnson being hired, as Hurts reportedly had no idea he was even being interviewed for the job. Their connection had an impact on Johnson being promoted this season, however. When Shane Steichen departed the team to become the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts in 2023, Jalen Hurts reportedly campaigned for Johnson to take his spot as the offensive coordinator.