Jalen Hurts ready to find ‘home base' after upcoming and inevitable change

In recent years, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has been publicly outspoken in his yearning for continuity at the play caller position.

That didn’t happen on Monday.

The day after the Eagles’ season ended with a wild-card loss to the 49ers, Hurts was asked point-blank if he wanted Kevin Patullo to return as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator. And in the face of obvious upcoming changes, Hurts at locker cleanout day didn’t push for that continuity this offseason.

“It’s too soon to think about that,” Hurts said about Patullo. “I put my trust in Howie (Roesman), Nick (Sirianni) and Mr. (Jeffrey) Lurie.”

The Eagles’ offense clearly wasn’t good enough this season and it fell short in their 23-19 loss to the 49ers on Sunday afternoon. All season, Hurts talked about the importance of finding an offensive identity and they never actually found it. The same things that haunted the Eagles all season doomed them in the playoffs.

Hurts changed up his wording for “identity” on Monday, instead calling it “home base.” But it’s clear that he wants the Eagles’ offense in 2026 to find what it’s good at and lean into it.

On Monday, Hurts was asked how the cycling of offensive coordinators can jibe with finding that home base for the offense.

“The changes have not prevented us from having an opportunity from going on championship runs,” Hurts answered. “With all the changes and with all the things that have gone and changed over time, we’ve still found ourselves in the playoffs and we’ve still found ourselves in positions to be in the tournament and play in the tournament.

“I think competitively, I don’t like the trend of wild-card, big-time, wild-card, big-time and then wild-card, alluding to the loss, obviously. So competitively, as a quarterback, as a leader, that’s a big focus of mine, trying to break that.”

Of course, Hurts would probably still love continuity if the Eagles find the right OC/play-caller to put in that role. It was clear this season that Patullo wasn’t the answer.

The trend under Sirianni has been clear. The Eagles have lost in the wild-card round in 2021, 2023 and 2025 and got to Super Bowls in the 2022 and 2024 seasons in between. The Eagles’ OCs in those Super Bowl years were current head coaches Shane Steichen and Kellen Moore. Coming into this year, Sirianni talked about sustained success and that certainly doesn’t mean first-round playoff exits.

While it’s unfair to pin all of the offensive struggles this season on the offensive coordinator, there need to be changes and there just aren’t a ton of options other than firing the OC. So it’s hard to imagine that Patullo will be back.

“I accept the change, I accept that those things come, whether expectations aren’t met or whether we’re making Super Bowl runs,” Hurts said. “I’ve experienced both ends of it so I have a unique perspective on that. I’m not going to allow that to be an excuse for us not to make championship runs or for us to not have the success that we desire and that I desire. 

“That’s what motivates me most. Obviously, every year is different. Changes are inevitable in a number of ways. My focus is one growth. My focus is on improvement. My focus is one embracing the challenges that come with where I am in my career.”

After Hurts said he would trust the Eagles’ brass with the Patullo decision, he was asked the same question about star receiver A.J. Brown, who had a tumultuous 2024 season.

Brown, who was again not available to reporters on Monday, is under contract for 2026 and beyond. But after everything that transpired with him this season, it’s fair to wonder if he has already played his final game in an Eagles uniform.

“A.J. and I have talked,” Hurts said. “We’re in a good, great place. Y’all can talk to him and ask.”

As Hurts spoke on Monday afternoon, the Eagles were less than 24 hours into their 2026 offseason with a long way to go. There will be plenty of changes over the next few months and a lot of them on Hurts’ side of the football.

When asked how much say he wants in some of those decisions, Hurts said his “line is always open” and said he wants to use his influence for the betterment of the team. 

Ideally, what does Hurts want in an offense?

“I just want to win. I want to win,” he said. “You play the game to win championships. You play the game to play championships and put yourself in those opportunities to win championships. 

“Obviously, that starts with cohesiveness and with sequencing and having a flow where everyone’s on the same page and going out there and doing that. I think that’s been the humbling thing for me as a leader. I’ve been able to learn more about myself, more about my team and more about what it takes and what it demands of a quarterback. Just growing throughout my time. 

“So those are the things that I relish in and I take great pride in. Like everything that I’ve experienced to this point in my career, something I’ll be able to learn from and be better from. I look at this opportunity, I look at this as no different.”