-20.Last year, he dropped to 4.6 yards per carry – still very good but a significant Two years into his career, Jalen Hurts was the owner of a beefy 5.6 rushing average, which put him in the NFL’s all-time topdrop. And this year, he’s down to 3.6, which actually puts him 34th out of 41 players with at least 100 carries .Hurts is still incredibly effective in short yardage and goal-line situations. He’s still among the NFL leaders in rushing touchdowns. He’s still second in the NFL with 50 rushing first downs, 13 fewer than Christian McCaffrey. But the big runs? The long runs? The explosive runs?
They’ve been virtually absent and nobody is quite sure why. Are teams defending Hurts differently? There is more of a book on how he likes to run. Have injuries affected his speed? He did have ankle surgery after the 2021 season, and he’s been dealing with a knee injury the last several weeks. Is he just more focused on throwing when he starts scrambling behind the line of scrimmage? He’s certainly become a more efficient passer – his 103.8 passer rating on third down this year is highest of his career. Is he just becoming a more careful runner? You rarely see him putting himself at risk by fighting for extra yards anymore.
