Commanders Take Aim at Jalen Hurts: Joe Whitt Jr.’s ‘tough guy talk’ was a complete misfire ahead of the NFC Championship Game

Joe Whitt Jr. is making sure the Philadelphia Eagles know exactly what’s coming for Jalen Hurts on Sunday. The Washington Commanders’ defensive coordinator didn’t mince words, letting the Eagles know they’ll treat their quarterback like a running back if he takes off with the football.

Innovative: Joe Whitt Jr. tells the media his defense will tackle Jalen Hurts if he’s running

Commanders DC Joe Whitt: "We are going to hit him that way. That's their decision if they want to get him hit the way that he gets hit" 🧐#FlyEaglesFly | #Soft pic.twitter.com/XhfUjHhjNG

— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) January 23, 2025

“If he’s going to run the ball, and the coordinator makes the decision for him to run the ball, we’re going to treat him like a running back,” Whitt said Thursday, as reported by Jeff Skversky of CBS News Detroit. “That’s their decision if they want to get him hit the way that he gets hit. If they don’t, they will keep him in the pocket. So that’s what we’re going to do.”

Translation: If Jalen Hurts decides to run, the big, scary, hard-nosed Commanders defense is going to tackle him.

My Response:

I mean, cool, I guess? I’m not sure what’s going on in the Commanders locker room but I think Whitt’s statement about tackling Hurts when he’s running the ball is rather stupid.

How else would they tackle Jalen Hurts if again, he’s running with the football? Whitt has “fake tough guy” written all over his face.

“We’re going to tackle the guy that’s running with the football.” Got it. Loud and clear, buddy.

At the end of the day, everyone knows Jalen Hurts is one of the NFL’s most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks. Not sure why the Commanders just figured this out? Whitt’s “shots” on Hurts were a complete misfire and might have done more to hype up the Eagles’ offense than intimidate them.

Hey Commanders: Jalen Hurts Is No Stranger to the Ground Game

Since 2021, Hurts has been an absolute menace on the ground. His 52 rushing touchdowns over that span lead the NFL, and this year was no different.

Despite dealing with a lingering knee injury, Hurts racked up 630 rushing yards during the regular season and dropped 70 yards on the ground last week against the Rams.

Maybe Whitt was reminding his defense how to actually play defense in the first place?

Commanders’ run defense is…well, not exactly elite. They ranked 27th in rushing EPA during the regular season, so talking tough about stopping Hurts sounds more like wishful thinking.

That said, the Commanders do have some history here.

In their second regular-season matchup with the Eagles, Jalen Hurts suffered a concussion after being tackled on a designed run, forcing him to miss multiple games. If there’s any blueprint for slowing him down, it might involve making him second-guess taking those hits.

Still seems pretty elementary and without a doubt, just like our fanbase, Nick Sirianni and the Eagles aren’t biting…at all. Nick wasn’t even going to entertain the comments. He’s no stranger to the chess match of pregame trash talk and swiftly shrugged off Whitt’s comments during his media session today.

“Every team is going to try to tackle Jalen like a running back,” Sirianni said Thursday, via Skversky. “He’s running with the football, they’ll try to tackle him. We already are ultimately cautious with how we use him… But I wouldn’t expect anything else. Jalen knows how to take care of himself.”

Jalen Hurts critics need to do us all a favor and stop talking

Sirianni’s measured response is on brand for Philly. The Eagles have built their offense around Hurts’ dual-threat ability, and they know how critical he is to their championship hopes.

Expect them to pick their spots when calling designed runs, but don’t expect Hurts to shy away from taking off when the moment calls for it.

The Commanders might want to rattle Jalen Hurts, but they’ll have their hands full trying to back up Whitt’s words. Washington’s defense struggled to contain the run all season, and Hurts has a knack for showing up in big moments.

If the Commanders come out overly aggressive, they risk turning Hurts’ runs into explosive plays. And if Philly’s offensive line—arguably the league’s best—sets the tone early, Whitt’s tough talk might look like just that: talk.

The NFC title game already had plenty of stakes, but Whitt’s comments just added a little more spice. Now it’s up to Hurts and the Eagles to respond the best way they know how: by making Washington pay for every word.

Jalen Hurts’ Postgame: “It Comes Through Philly”

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