Drake shouts out Jalen Hurts on his new Iceman album, further proof the Eagles QB is him

Jalen Hurts is a Super Bowl MVP. He hangs out with Michael Jordan. He just got name-dropped by Drake on the biggest album release of 2026. Your quarterback could never.

Drake dropped ICEMAN last night and right in the middle of it, on a track called “Make Them Pay,” he reached for Jalen Hurts as a metaphor for someone who gets painted a certain way by the world and keeps showing up anyway.

Of all the references available to one of the most famous people on the planet, Drake picked the guy who got benched at Alabama, transferred to Oklahoma, got doubted by every NFL scout, and went out and won a Super Bowl MVP. That’s not a random namedrop.

That’s Drake identifying with a specific kind of adversity and choosing Jalen Hurts as the comparison. That should tell you everything about how the rest of the world views the Eagles’ quarterback even if Philadelphia sports radio wants to debate him every Monday morning.

Drake name drop’s Jalen Hurts on Iceman

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I Have to Be Upfront About Something

I am a Drake fan. I’ll be honest about it. I wasn’t plugged in during the mixtape era. I came in with Thank Me Later and I have been locked in ever since. From Take Care to Nothing Was The Same to Certified Lover Boy, I have been along for the entire ride.

Whether the internet wants to admit it or not, Drake is one of the most talented artists of his generation. Is he controversial right now? Absolutely. The Kendrick situation divided the entire music world and there are people who will never look at him the same way again. I get it. I understand why people feel that way.

But the music speaks for itself and ICEMAN is proof that the man still has it.

I will never forget being in the back of an Uber in Fort Worth, Texas with Drake playing and the rest of The Liberty Line crew giving me grief the entire ride while I kept saying “Drake is the GOAT.” Drew Smith and the boys were relentless about it. Wouldn’t let it go. Had jokes for days.

Who’s laughing now? Drake just dropped an album that everyone is talking about and name-dropped our quarterback on it. I’m taking a victory lap on this one.

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“Make Them Pay” Is the Heart of the Album

The track where the Hurts reference lands is the most personal song on ICEMAN. Drake addresses the J. Cole situation directly and without sugarcoating. He tells Cole he loves him because of their history but makes it clear that forgiveness is a completely different conversation. That’s heavy. The kind of writing that reminds you why this man has been impossible to ignore for fifteen years no matter how hard people have tried to take him down.

Cole isn’t the only one who gets it on this album. DJ Khaled, Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross. If you crossed Drake at any point in recent memory, ICEMAN has something waiting for you.

This is a full settling of accounts. A man who spent the last two years getting dragged across the internet coming back and addressing every single person who had something to say. Whether you think Drake won or lost the Kendrick beef, the fact that he came back with an album this loaded tells you everything about his competitive nature.

The Hurts Reference Matters

What makes the Jalen Hurts namedrop meaningful is the context surrounding it. Drake didn’t use Hurts as a punchline. He used him as a symbol of resilience. A guy who faced doubt and criticism at every stage of his career and kept showing up.

Benched at Alabama for Tua Tagovailoa. Transferred to Oklahoma. Drafted in the second round while everyone questioned whether he could be a franchise quarterback. Won a Super Bowl MVP. Got knocked out of the playoffs the next year and had people questioning him again.

That’s the parallel Drake is drawing. The world tells you who you are and you keep proving them wrong. Hurts has done it his entire life. Drake feels like he’s doing the same thing right now. Whether you like Drake or not, the fact that he chose Jalen Hurts to make that point says everything about Hurts’ reputation on a national level.

The Jalen Hurts haters are in absolute shambles right now. Your quarterback doesn’t get name-dropped by Drake. He doesn’t hang out with Michael Jordan. He doesn’t have a Super Bowl MVP trophy. Jalen Hurts does. Put some respect on the name.

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