It exists on some peripheral level, hard to identify, subtle. It’s a comparison between not just two athletes — between rather between two of the very best quarterbacks in the NFL and in the world. One that both men never speak of — never acknowledge. Jalen Hurts of the (Philadelphia) Eagles and Joe Burrow of the (Cincinnati) Bengals.
Seven months ago —while basking in the enormity of an Eagles Super Bowl blowout — Jalen Hurts sat in the locker room of the Caesar’s Superdome with the silver sparkling brilliance of the Lombardi Trophy between his knees. The glowing embers and smoke of the victory cigar that he was smoking was reminiscent of some of Burrow’s previous celebrations that had become so popular. Perhaps — it was a signal to the rest of the NFL and the world of who was actually the best quarterback of the (Covid-restricted) draft class of 2020.
Or perhaps — the competitiveness doesn’t actually exist between these two superstars. Perhaps for Jalen — it’s the constant media comparison between the two men that fuels his disdain. Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, and Jordan Love were all selected prior to Hurts. Of those quarterbacks — only Hurts and Burrow have played in the Super Bowl. Only Jalen has won one — and that is not all that they have in common.
Both Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts both won National Championships in College. They both played in the SEC. Both were fortunate enough to have two of their favorite collegiate targets join them in the NFL (Devonta Smith for the Eagles and Ja’marr Chase for the Bengals.) And both are top signal callers of two of the (top) teams in the NFL.
The Eagles and Bengals matchup this August will be the only one between both franchises this season — unless of course both teams advance to the Super Bowl in Santa Clara in February. For another matchup between these two elite quarterbacks — what a game that would be.
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