The Evolution of Jalen Hurts: Part 4 - His Best Throw Emerges

Understanding Jalen Hurts’ Transformation as a Quarterback

Jalen Hurts has undergone a remarkable transformation since entering the NFL, and this is the final installment of a series that breaks down how he has improved in specific areas. Each part of the series highlights a different type of mistake he used to make and how he has grown past it. The entire series will be featured in an episode of my podcast, which you can explore further.

I want to express my gratitude to James Foster, one of the top analysts in the field, for providing me with old film of Hurts and for his valuable input throughout this project. I encourage you to follow him and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more insightful content.

Previously: Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Part 4 - How the Out Route Became Jalen Hurts’ Best Throw

As I continue to read news and see analysts discrediting Jalen Hurts, I feel even more grateful for the opportunity to do this series. I hope I’ve covered the key areas of his improvement effectively. In my opinion, Hurts is one of the best throwers of an out route in the NFL right now. While I don’t study every quarterback as closely as I do Hurts, I haven’t seen many players who throw it better than he does.

There are numerous examples of this route in his film over the years, but he didn’t always excel at it. In the early stages of his career, out routes were another area where he struggled due to timing issues and a lack of arm strength.

Looking back at the 2020-21 film, we can see that his throws to the sideline were often late and lacked velocity. For example, in a clip against Dallas, Hurts threw late to the outside on a timing route. DeVonta Smith lost his footing, but the bigger issue was how easily Trevon Diggs intercepted the pass for a pick-six. Hurts stared down the route, hesitated, and delivered a ball inside and late. This kind of throw is extremely risky in the NFL and can lead to immediate turnovers.

This wasn’t an isolated incident. In another play against the Saints, Hurts had a worse throw—late trigger, poor anticipation, inside placement, and a lack of power. It almost resulted in an interception and was a clear example of a quarterback who lacked confidence and processing speed. No route in the NFL requires more timing and arm talent than the deep out.

Hurts’ struggles with these routes made sense given the other challenges he faced earlier in his career. He didn’t have a strong arm like Josh Allen, so being late wasn’t an option. If he wasn’t decisive and early, the defense had a chance to make a play. And he was frequently late on these types of throws.

However, let’s look at the progress he has made in this area. Before diving into the film, take a look at the following...

The improvement is incredible. These aren’t minor changes—they are the result of significant work in his mechanics, processing, and confidence. Now, let’s take a look at the film from the past few years.

One clip showcases all of his improvements in one play. The timing is perfect, and the ball is released before the receiver turns, as Hurts now throws with anticipation. Another clip against the Cowboys shows an outrageous fourth-and-three situation where Hurts threads an out route to the sideline with perfect placement to Dallas Goedert. These are high-leverage throws in critical moments, and Hurts clearly trusts his arm and ability to make them now.

Many of the clips show Hurts in the red zone, where he must make quick decisions and his mechanics are spot-on. He has enough power to make the throw.

I can’t talk about deep out routes without mentioning the Super Bowl against Kansas City. The throw he made to Dallas Goedert on a deep out route during a smash concept with a cornerback closing in and a safety looming is astonishing. It was on third down, with a small window, and Hurts showed no hesitation. He made a ridiculous throw in the Super Bowl!

He hit another great out throw in the same game. This was the kind of play you simply didn’t see from him in 2020 or 2021. He genuinely looks like a different quarterback now.

Overall Progress and Future Outlook

I believe most rational NFL analysts now accept that Jalen Hurts is one of the most reliable quarterbacks in the league. He isn’t perfect, but he’s an extremely good player. I won’t bore you with rankings, but personally, I place Hurts just below the top four and towards the top of the second tier of quarterbacks. I went back and watched the 2023 Super Bowl for this article, and the idea that any serious analyst could rank someone like Trevor Lawrence above Hurts is absurd. If anyone can find a game where Lawrence played better than Hurts did in that Super Bowl, please let me know!

The four areas I’ve covered—deep ball accuracy, touch, out-of-structure creativity, and precision on out routes—show the transformation of Jalen Hurts as a passer. Early in his career, each of these areas had obvious limitations. Those who were critical of him weren’t wrong; the film wasn’t very good. He struggled with velocity and anticipation on outs, lacked consistency deep, was often a beat late in processing, and didn’t yet have the control to layer throws with touch.

But year by year, he has cleaned up each of his weaknesses. What were once question marks have become strengths. All of these areas combine to create a significantly improved quarterback. His anticipation has led to an improvement in his out-route precision. His improved pocket poise has helped his deep accuracy. His mechanical discipline ties everything together. That’s the result of a lot of work in the off-season. This isn’t a player who just got better at one thing. He’s improved dramatically as a quarterback.

It’s a real shame that so many in the media refuse to cover the improvements. They fail to understand that it doesn’t mean they were wrong when they were critiquing him a few years ago. It’s sad because this is a player we should be celebrating rather than picking flaws in.

Hopefully, this series has done a decent job of showing just how far Jalen Hurts has come as a passer. The best thing about Hurts? He never stops growing. He takes to coaching, puts in the work, and continues to improve every year. If the last few seasons are anything to go by, he’s only getting better. Who knows, maybe in a couple of years, I’ll be back writing a new version of this series, charting the next step in his evolution as a quarterback.

Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and podcast here.