Nick Saban's Comment About Jalen Hurts Fit With Eagles Will Pump up Philly Fans

The Philadelphia Eagles shocked fans when they drafted Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jalen Hurts. Hurts' time in the NCAA was marked by sustained success, but it's been hard to look past his infamous benching in the National Championship while he was the starting quarterback at Alabama. He lost his spot to Tua Tagovailoa, and though head coach Nick Saban moved on from him then, his latest comments about the young athlete are pretty promising.

Saban spoke with Andrew Siciliano on NFL Network about Hurts' fit in Philadelphia, and while his role remains to be seen, the legendary head coach was highly complimentary of the Eagles' pick.

He highlighted how Hurts has been able to deal with adversity after giving up his role to Tagovailoa. Eagles fans should be encouraged by that, considering he's almost certainly going to be riding the pine behind Carson Wentz.

More importantly, he said that he believes Hurts' skill set works well in Philadelphia's offense. Specifically, his ability to work outside the pocket is something Wentz has done numerous times. Tweaks may need to be made, but Saban's confidence that he can perform in his new environment is very encouraging for fans who were unnecessarily discouraged by Philadelphia's draft.

If nothing else, Saban's comments suggest Hurts can be a serviceable backup behind Wentz. It shouldn't require any major adjustment if Wentz gets injured, as he is prone to do, and he could possibly even be more successful in their system.

Saban's confidence in his former quarterback's ability to succeed and have a decent career in the NFL is just what upset Eagles fans need right now.