The Philadelphia Eagles They are the last unbeaten team in NFLBut don’t discuss it with the midfielder at first. I have heard of the agony of defeat. Galen Hurts Exercising the agony of victory.
His post-match press conferences are a mixture of “not meeting the standard”, leaving “money on the table” and “dissatisfaction”. This is intentional, of course, and Hurts allows for an unrestrained roar at the conclusion of his locker-room speeches. But this only comes after he lectures his colleagues on the same (albeit more lively) points.
So it begs the question: In Hertz’s life, did he ever walk out of the field like a student winning an exam?
“No,” said Hurts. “It’s usually the last match.”
Hurts has played games that even his critics condone deserve to be celebrated. He is a bona fide candidate best player. He won the NFC Offensive Player of the Month award in September. However, he seems not always satisfied.
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This is not a research at Horts. It is an acknowledgment that his intention has been noted. As he recently explained, he’s “obsessed with playing by my standards.” When asked if he would ever allow himself to reach the standard, he suggested that it is not so much a sign of access as it is the process of trying to access the unreachable.
“It’s an ongoing journey,” Hurts said. “If you think you have arrived one day, you will not. There is no arrival. There is only the journey.”
But the 24-year-old also knows what goes into winning the game – how much manpower and mental strength is dedicated to an individual outcome and how important that is to many people. That’s why the Eagles midfielder admitted that he’s looking for the right place between appreciating victory without sinking into complacency.
“It’s very difficult to win in this league, and that’s the balance I have to strike – in knowing how hard it is, but also in being eager and hungry to ask for more,” Hurts said. “When you have disappointment in yourself, it’s a strain of self-improvement.”
This may sound like something out of a self-help book, but it’s partly why the Eagles won 6-0. (One of the NFL’s top lists and the best turnover difference in the league may be more important.) He’s helped Hurts improve every season, from Alabama to Oklahoma to his rookie year with the Eagles to his first year with Nick Siriani to his leap in 2022. But Hurts does not aspire to be perfect. Aspire to perfection.
“I’m not trying to chase perfection,” Hurts said. “I’m just trying to chase progress.”
There has been a version of an answer about failing to meet the standards after every game this season. He got the most attention after the Eagles win in Week 5 Arizona When Hurts responded to a question about Philadelphia’s unbeaten record with a response he’d rarely heard from someone who had just reached 5-0: “Personally, frankly, I hate hearing 5-0.”
His interpretation was that “process” was what counted—a statement that would attract nods from Sixers fans of a certain age.
Siriani noted that this was “not Galen’s first rodeo” with an undefeated record. As a freshman in Alabama, Hurts was the quarterback on the team that went 14-0 before losing in the National Championship. As a sophomore, his team started 11-0. It was a backup in 2018 when Crimson Tide started again 14-0. During his solo year in Oklahoma, the Sooners opened the season 7-0.
Based on his college experience, what the Eagles do isn’t that impressive. They barely finished their entrees.
Have you seen Nick Saban after his victory? Horts and Saban are clan spirits.
“He understands that the next match is the most important,” Siriani said. “That’s exactly what we preach as coaches and our players, meaning, does 5-0 feel good? Yes. You want 6-0 to happen? Then you better do whatever you need to do in this week to ramp it up. We can’t control what It happened in the past, and we can’t control what happens in the future. All we can control is the moment we are in now. So go attack in the day and be hungry and humble.”
Hurts’ approach isn’t just for general messaging. Hear his post-match speeches, which the team posts online, and Hurts shares his talking points with his teammates. The same talk of standard was voiced in the locker room during the first week in Detroit. “Leave the money on the table” was uttered minutes after the Eagles won Dallas.
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The difference is how Hurts ended those speeches. After his comments, you’ll see a wide grin appear from someone who says he keeps “the same face” at all times. He flexes his arms and, in many words, shouts to his teammates to enjoy the victory while being embraced.
“As hungry as I am, as hungry as we are a football team, and as keen as we are to play by our footballing standards consistently, at a steady rate… I will not admit how enjoyable it is to feel the victorious feeling and how hard it is to feel that feeling,” Hurts said.
Horts’ word choice during this answer, much like he does, appears to be intentional. Victory is “fun” as far as it’s ready to go. It is unsatisfactory. It’s not even satisfactory.
Perhaps the Eagles would be satisfied if they win their “last game,” referring to the championship. in approval.
“Enough is never enough,” Hurts said. “It will always be this way. For me, win, lose or draw, the process remains the same.”
(Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
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