Pat McAfee Show debates between Hurts or Tua in the 2022 season
As we get closer to NFL training camp, a lot of attention will be turned toward many of the young quarterbacks in the NFL. In today’s case, the Pat McAfee crew debated between Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa. Both are former Alabama quarterbacks and a part of the 2020 NFL draft class.
It should be noted that Darius Butler was the only one of the Pat McAfee crew that seemed to provide input on this matter, as the segment was an interview-style segment for the former 9-year NFL veteran. On top of that, Darius Butler is a Miami Dolphins fan, so you would assume he would have some bias on this discussion.
Darius Butler on the Pat McAfee Show
“I gotta say Hurts. On any given Sunday he can be the best runner on the field with his legs. He’s a smart guy, great leader, has a great arm, got great weapons around him. He gets his mechanics right, it’s all there for the taking.” Darius Butler on The Pat McAfee Show
Both quarterbacks find themselves in very similar situations. Hurts and Tua have shown glimpses of being franchise quarterbacks but at the same time, there are question marks on if they can actually be the “guy” on their respective teams.
Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins selected Tua with the 5th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. In two seasons with Miami, he has led them to a 19-14 overall record and has a string of talented players surrounding him including Jaylen Waddle, Devonte Parker, and Mike Gisicki.
Unfortunately for Dolphins fans, the team still managed to be left out of the playoffs even after going 10-6 in 2020 and then again in 2021 after posting a 9-8 record during the regular season.
Tua posted a passer rating of 87.1 with 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in 10 games in his rookie season in 2020. In 2021, he had a passer rating of 90.1 with 2,653 yards, 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 13 games in 2021.
Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles
As we all know, the Philadelphia Eagles had a miserable 2020 campaign, finishing the year 4-11-1. Jalen Hurts finished with a passer rating of 77.6 with 1,061 yards, 6 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in 15 games in his rookie season. Last year, Hurts led the Eagles to the playoffs with a 9-8 record. He had a passer rating of 87.2 with 3,144 yards, 16 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in 15 games in 2021.
Rushing Stats
Jalen Hurts 2020: 354 RUSH YDS, 63 ATT, 23.6 RUSH YDS/G, 3 RUSH TD
Jalen Hurts 2021: 784 RUSH YDS, 139 ATT, 52.3 RUSH YDS/G, 10 RUSH TD
Tua Tagovailoa 2020: 109 RUSH YDS, 36 ATT, 10.9 RUSH YDS/G, 3 RUSH TD
Tua Tagovailoa 2021: 128 RUSH YDS, 42 ATT, 9.8 RUSH YDS/G, 3 RUSH TD
After looking at the numbers above, Darius Butler is obviously right when saying that Jalen Hurts can be the best runner on the field with his legs on any given Sunday. It’s a clear advantage over what Tua can do with his legs based on the numbers above.
In terms of passing, both quarterbacks leave a lot to be desired but both have provided enough for fans and media alike to believe that are capable of being franchise quarterbacks. The Miami Dolphins traded for Tyreek Hill and the Philadelphia Eagles traded for A.J. Brown.
With that in mind, there has to be some confidence in both quarterback’s potentials heading into the 2022 NFL season.
Jalen Hurts is better though, obviously.
