Philadelphia Eagles defensive star Ndamukong Suh believes Jalen Hurts shares key intangibles with Tom Brady as the young quarterback attempts to win Super Bowl LVII on Sunday.
Hurts has enjoyed a tremendous season in what is just his third year in the NFL. The 24-year-old lost just once as a starter all year, leading the Eagles to the number one seed in the NFC on the back of his 3,701 passing yards, 760 rushing yards and 35 total touchdowns.
The former Alabama and Oklahoma star was firmly in contention to win the MVP award thanks to his exhilarating play style, only for Super Bowl rival Patrick Mahomes to become the frontrunner as Hurts picked up a shoulder injury down the stretch. Fortunately for Philadelphia fans, he appears to be healthy as the Eagles eye a second championship in franchise history.
Suh has been here before, albeit in slightly different circumstances. He joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they reached the pinnacle of the sport two years ago, and the 36-year-old is once again preparing to face Mahomes in the Super Bowl.
In Super Bowl LV, Suh tallied 1.5 sacks as Brady led the Bucs to a dominant 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Suh, the second overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, had the GOAT at the helm of his last Super Bowl win - but he’s comfortable with Hurts leading the way this time around due to the similarities he sees in his quarterback’s preparation to Brady’s renowned process.
“Their play style is definitely very different,” Suh exclusively told Mirror Sport with a mischievous smile as he referenced the clear gulf in agility between Brady and Hurts. “I would say a combination of things [make them similar].
“They’re both even-keeled and focused at all times. They both don’t seem to get rattled by any means, and I think that’s something that is going to serve Jalen well with his ice cold demeanour come Sunday.”
Hurts’ composure appears to be infectious, with Suh and the rest of the Eagles roster exhibiting a composed belief in themselves amid the relative chaos of Super Bowl media week. Despite his quarterback’s relative inexperience to Brady, Suh insisted Hurts is ready to make the leap and thrust himself into sporting immortality on his maiden Super Bowl appearance.
“Every team is different, no matter what year it is whether it’s a Super Bowl team or not,” the thoughtful defensive tackle philosophically added when reflecting on the difference between the 2022 Eagles and his champion Buccaneers. “There’s a simple difference if you want to compare the quarterbacks: one of them is a legend who had six Super Bowls prior [to winning Super Bowl LV] and the other is a young guy who is at his first Super Bowl.
“It doesn’t matter: they’re both capable of winning at every level.”
Suh and the Eagles face the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona on Sunday.
