The Evolution of Jalen Hurts: Part 4 - The Out Route's Rise to Dominance

The Evolution of Jalen Hurts: A Journey Through Improvement

Jalen Hurts has undergone a remarkable transformation since entering the NFL, and this is the final installment in a series that highlights how he has overcome various challenges to become one of the league’s most reliable quarterbacks. Each part of this series focuses on specific areas where Hurts used to struggle and how he has grown beyond those limitations. The entire series will be featured in an episode of my podcast, which you can find online.

I want to express my gratitude to James Foster, a top-tier analyst who provided me with old film of Hurts and helped shape this series. 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 the news and see analysts questioning Jalen Hurts, I’m glad I chose to do this series. I hope it has covered the significant improvements Hurts has made over the years. I believe Hurts is now one of the best throwers of an out route in the NFL. While I don’t study every quarterback as closely as I do Hurts, I haven’t seen many players who can throw an out route better than he does.

There are numerous examples of this route in his film from the past few years, but Hurts didn’t always excel at it. In the early stages of his career, out routes were another area of concern due to timing issues and lack of arm strength.

Looking back at the 2020-21 film, you can see that his throws to the sideline were often late and lacked velocity. For instance, 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 ball for a pick-six. Hurts stared down the route, hesitated, and delivered a ball inside and late. Throwing out-breaking routes like that in the NFL is risky and can lead to instant turnovers.

This wasn’t an isolated incident. Another example against the Saints showed even worse timing, anticipation, and placement. It was nearly another interception, highlighting a quarterback who lacked confidence and processing speed.

Hurts’ struggles with outs made sense given his other challenges. He didn’t have the arm strength of a player like Josh Allen, so being late on these throws was dangerous. However, Hurts has made significant progress in this area.

The improvement is evident. These aren’t minor changes—they’re the result of extensive work on his mechanics, processing, and confidence. Let’s take a look at the film from the past couple of years to see the transformation.

In one clip, you can see all of his improvement in action. The timing is perfect, and the ball is released before the receiver turns, showing Hurts now throws with anticipation. Another clip against the Cowboys demonstrates his ability to thread an out route to the sideline with precise placement. These high-leverage throws in crucial situations show Hurts' growing confidence.

Many clips also highlight Hurts in the red zone, where he makes quick decisions and maintains spot-on mechanics. He has enough arm strength to make the throw.

One of the most impressive moments came in the Super Bowl against Kansas City. Hurts made a ridiculous throw to Dallas Goedert on a deep out route during a third-down play. With a cornerback closing in and a safety looming, Hurts showed no hesitation and made a perfect throw. This was a moment that simply wasn’t seen from him in 2020 or 2021. He truly looks like a different quarterback now.

Overall Transformation

I believe most serious NFL analysts now recognize 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 I personally place Hurts just below the top four quarterbacks and toward the top of the second tier.

I revisited the 2023 Super Bowl for this article, and the idea that someone like Trevor Lawrence could be ranked above Hurts is absurd. If anyone can find a game where Lawrence played better than Hurts did in that Super Bowl, I’d love to hear about it.

The four areas I’ve covered—deep ball accuracy, touch, out-of-structure creativity, and precision on out routes—show the full transformation of Jalen Hurts as a passer. Early in his career, each of these areas had clear limitations. Those who criticized him weren’t wrong; the film wasn’t great. He struggled with velocity and anticipation on outs, lacked consistency deep, was often 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 better 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 off-season work.

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

Hopefully, this series has shown 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 any indication, 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 online.