Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts already has a major place in Eagles history, being one of only two quarterbacks to lead Philadelphia to a Super Bowl victory. Hurts was named MVP of Super Bowl LIX in a 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hurts and his opponent from the game, Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, have played in the only two Super Bowls to feature two Black starting quarterbacks, both in Super Bowl LIX and Super Bowl LVII For Hurts and the Eagles, that history takes on a special significance.
According to Readjack.com, Black quarterbacks have started 377 games (including postseason) for the Eagles, the most for any team in the NFL. It's a lineage that started with Randall Cunningham in 1985 — two years before Washington's Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to start in a Super Bowl.
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That continued with Rodney Peete, Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick before reaching Hurts. They combined for 374 of those 377 starts. Vince Young also has three starts for the Eagles. It's a progressive line that has remained almost constant since 1985.
The accomplishments and cultural significance of each quarterback has helped advance the Eagles — and the NFL — to the present day.
"I think it's something that's worthy of being noted and it is history," Hurts said via Eagles.com. "I think it's come a long way."
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Here is a timeline of the history of Black quarterbacks in Philadelphia:
Randall Cunningham (1985-95)
Lowdown: The Eagles took Cunningham with a second-round pick in 1985 and he became a dual-threat sensation. Sound familiar? Cunningham emerged as one of the brightest stars in the league for a decade. He had a Mahomes-like skillset, and the Eagles won 10 or more games from 1988-92. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry for his career, and he was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and Comeback Player of the Year in 1992 a season after he suffered a torn ACL. Cunningham made 112 starts for Philadelphia.
Playoffs: Despite that success, the Eagles never could get past the NFC divisional playoffs with Cunningham. He was 1-4 in the postseason with Philadelphia. Cunningham did reach the NFC championship with the Vikings in 1998.
Impact: Take the call from this 95-yard touchdown pass to Fred Barnett: "This type of play defies description." Cunningham emerged as one of the NFL's most popular players because of that instant highlight-reel capability through the air, on the ground or even on a 91-yard punt. Sports Illustrated dubbed Cunningham the "Ultimate Weapon," and the nickname stuck. Gamers who controlled "QB Eagles" on "Tecmo Super Bowl" know the reference. It's also fun to daydream about just how good Cunningham's skill-set would apply to the modern game.
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Rodney Peete (1995-98)
Lowdown: Ray Rhodes shifted the Eagles to a West Coast offense in 1995, and Cunningham was benched that season in favor of Peete, a veteran who played five seasons with Detroit and one with Dallas before coming to Philadelphia. Peete started in 26 games for the Eagles from 1995-98.
Playoffs: That 1995 season was Peete's best year. He had a 9-3 record in the regular season and led the Eagles to a NFC wild card victory against his former Detroit in a wild 58-37 shootout. Peete had 270 passing yards and three TDs. The Eagles lost 30-11 in the NFC divisional playoffs to Dallas.
Impact: Peete's longevity stood out. He had a 15-year career that stretched through the 2004 season. He married actress Holly Robinson-Peete, who starred in "21 Jump Street." Peete remains a radio personality in Los Angeles.
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Donovan McNabb (1999-2009)
Lowdown: A 5-11 season in 1998 ended the Rhodes era in Philadelphia, and the Eagles selected McNabb with the No. 2 pick in the 1999 NFL Draft. Reid and McNabb combined to give the Eagles an unprecedented run of stability in the Super Bowl era. McNabb, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, played a huge role in that stability. He made 158 starts with the Eagles, and he had 234 TDs and 117 interceptions in that stretch.
Playoffs: McNabb led the Eagles to seven of their eight playoff appearances in that stretch. That included five appearances in the NFC championship game. Philadelphia broke through to a Super Bowl appearance in 2004, a year in which McNabb teamed with Terrell Owens to form one of the league's best pass-catching combinations. New England beat the Eagles 24-21 in Super Bowl 39.
Impact: McNabb's run is underappreciated given Philadelphia won 10 or more games in five of those seasons with the Eagles, and he dealt with a series of injuries from 2005-07. McNabb had one-year stints with Washington and Minnesota afterward, and he remains on the fringe of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 1999 NFL Draft class had five first-round quarterbacks. Tim Couch, Akili Smith, Daunte Culpepper and Cade McNown were the other picks. McNabb had the best career among that group.
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Michael Vick (2009-13)
Lowdown: Philadelphia provided the redemption story for Vick, who spent 21 months in a federal prison after pleading guilty to a felony charge related to running a dogfighting ring. Andy Reid brought in Vick in 2009. In 2010, Kevin Kolb was injured in the season opener and that opened the door for Vick, whose thrilling ride to NFL Comeback Player of the year began that season. Who could forget the six-TD performance against Washington on "Monday Night Football" or the 28-point comeback against the Giants that season? Those were vintage Vick performances that still get talked about today, especially by fantasy football owners.
Playoffs: Vick made 41 starts from 2009-13 for the Eagles. That only led to one playoff appearance, and the Eagles ran into the Packers at the wrong time. Vick had 292 passing yards, but Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to a 21-16 victory on Jan. 9, 2011.
Impact: Vick will always be remembered for his time in Atlanta first, but the Philly stint was important. The Eagles hired Chip Kelly in 2013, but Vick made just six starts that season. He marked the transition from the end of the Reid era. The Eagles took a risk in signing Vick and it paid off for both sides. Vick remains active in the game post-retirement, and the stint with Philadelphia made that possible.
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Jalen Hurts (2020-present)
Lowdown: Hurts, who starred at Alabama and Oklahoma in college, was a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He made four starts in his rookie season before taking over full time with first-year coach Nick Sirianni in 2021. The two-year progression since has been fantastic. Hurts built on a solid 2021 season with 3,701 passing yards, 760 rushing yards and 35 total TDs season for the Eagles. Hurts is 52-23 as a starter (including postseason), a winning percentage of over 70%.
Playoffs: Hurts is 6-3 in the postseason. He lost his first playoff start to Tom Brady in 2021; in 2022, he brought the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII — where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs — after earning his first two playoff victories over the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers. In 2023, the Eagles were a one-and-done in the playoffs, losing to the Buccaneers once again in the Wild Card round.
In 2024, Hurts led the Eagles to Super Bowl LIX, defeating the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders, all at Lincoln Financial Field. In a Super Bowl LVII rematch with the Chiefs, Hurts threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 72 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He was named Super Bowl MVP after leading the Eagles to their second Super Bowl in franchise history.
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Impact: At just 27-years-old, Hurts has led the Eagles to a championship and two Super Bowl appearances. He is one of only two quarterbacks in Eagles history, along with Ron Jaworski, to lead the team to multiple Super Bowls. Philadelphia's contention window is wide open with the quarterback under center, and Hurts looks to become the only quarterback in Eagles history to win multiple Super Bowls.
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