Eagles GM defends Hurts pick: 'We're quarterback developers'

The Philadelphia Eagles insisted Friday they haven't lost faith in Carson Wentz as their franchise quarterback despite drafting Jalen Hurts in the second round.

"For better or worse, we're quarterback developers," general manager Howie Roseman told reporters, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. "We want to be a quarterback factory."

The Hurts pick came a year after Philadelphia handed Wentz, who hasn't finished any of the last three seasons due to injuries, a four-year, $128-million contract extension. The Eagles went with a signal-caller in Round 2 instead of addressing one of their more pronounced positional needs.

"He has a unique skill set," said head coach Doug Pederson, who noted the Eagles may use Hurts in a gadget role as a rookie, similar to how the New Orleans Saints deploy Taysom Hill.

"It's something we're going to explore," Pederson said.

The Eagles used a fifth-round selection on a quarterback last year, taking Northwestern's Clayton Thorson, but he failed to make the final roster and the Eagles signed journeyman Josh McCown to back up Wentz.

Hurts figures to slot in as the primary backup in 2020.

He threw for 3,851 yards with 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions last year at Oklahoma while adding 1,298 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground. The former Alabama national champion was rewarded with a Heisman Trophy nomination for his sensational season.

Hurts was the fifth quarterback drafted in 2020, following Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, and Jordan Love.