Paul Pierce picks Jalen Hurts over Joe Burrow after Eagles QB latest triumph in Super Bowl - “Officially in the Big 4”

Jalen Hurts has joined an elite and exclusive club of quarterbacks. He now sits alongside Tom Brady and Joe Burrow as the only passers to ever defeat Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs. More importantly, Hurts and Brady did it in the Super Bowl, while Burrow could not finish the task.

NFL fans and analysts did not consider the Eagles' quarterback an elite one, but his excellent performance in the Super Bowl attracted plenty of praise. Philadelphia won 40-22 with a dominant game from both sides of the ball, and its offense impressed.

The quarterback's personal stock has been wildly bumped after beating Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX. Former NBA superstar Paul Pierce, who often comments on NFL matters on Fox Sports, believes that Hurts now is part of the league's elite club:

“He's shown me he's just a winner. He's been successful everywhere he's been. He's one of the great leaders. You hear how he talks in his interviews. All year long, we talked about, you know, Lamar and Josh MVPs. These are guys with the MVPs. He belongs in that conversation with them because he's the only one out of those with the elite quarterbacks that we talk about who now have a Super Bowl. He's officially in the Big 4 now."

Jalen Hurts' Super Bowl numbers fuel Eagles to second championship in eight seasons

There was no better opportunity to make his case for the group of elite quarterbacks than Super Bowl LIX, and Hurts did not waste his chance. Apart from a second-quarter interception after a failed blitz pickup, he played a nearly perfect game.

The Eagles quarterback completed 17 passes out of 22 attempts for 221 yards and two touchdowns, plus the aforementioned interception. He also ran for 72 yards in 11 carries, with another touchdown added through the ground.

He has made the playoffs in each of his four seasons as the starter in Philadelphia; he also made two Super Bowls in three years, a rare feature in a competitive league such as the NFL. With just 26 yards old, there's still plenty of football left in his tank.