Hurts takes accountability for Super Bowl loss despite superb performance
Quarterback Jalen Hurts' historic performance in Super Bowl LVII came up just short as the Philadelphia Eagles fell to the Kansas City Chiefs 38-35.
Hurts threw for 304 yards and rushed for 70 yards, making history as the signal-caller with the most rushing yards in the Super Bowl. He made three of his four scores on the ground, tying Terrell Davis' record.
His lone blemish in an outstanding performance during the biggest game of the year was a fumble when trying to switch hands, which Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton returned 36 yards for a touchdown.
"I always hold myself to a very high standard in everything I do," he said Sunday postgame, according to NFL.com's Judy Battista. "Obviously, I try to control the things I can. I touch the ball on every play. I want to protect it. It hurt us. You never know what play it will be.
"I don't do this to be loved," he added. "I don't do this to be hated. I don't do this to seek anybody else's approval. I do it for the guys in the locker room. I do it for all the time we invested in this."
Philadelphia had one final possession to end the contest, but Hurts' desperation heave fell short of any receivers.
Head coach Nick Sirianni praised the third-year passer's performance, complementing his decision-making and noting his complete control in the game.
"Jalen played the best game I've seen him play in the two years we’ve been together," Sirianni said, according to The Associated Press' Josh Dubow.
The Eagles quarterback even earned the praise of Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes after the contest.
"That was a special performance that I don't want to get lost because of the loss they had," Mahomes said, according to Dubow.
Hurts enjoyed a breakout campaign during the 2022-23 season despite the end result. He tallied 3,701 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions while putting up a 101.5 passer rating in 15 games. He also added 760 rushing yards for 13 scores on the ground, which helped him finish as the runner-up to Mahomes in the regular-season MVP race.
While Hurts admits falling just short of the sport's ultimate prize is tough, he knows his only choice from here is to "rise."
"You either win or you learn," he said, according to Battista.