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Browns Rookie Chases Down Jalen Hurts After Joint Practice — Begs for Philly-Style Wisdom from Eagles' QB1

PHILADELPHIA –August 14,2025
In a scene that had Eagles fans nodding with pride, Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders made a beeline for Jalen Hurts after Wednesday’s joint practice at the NovaCare Complex — and he wasn’t there for small talk.

Witnesses say Sanders, fresh off his preseason debut, spent an extended moment with the Eagles’ QB1, listening intently and soaking in every word. Hurts confirmed the rookie approached him looking for perspective.

“I’m always here to give my perspective on what I’ve seen and how I’ve gone about things,” Hurts said. “It takes a great deal of patience, hard work, and resilience. You gotta want it. I’m supporting him from where I am, wishing him nothing but the best with his opportunities.”

While Hurts kept the exact details between them, the moment carried weight. The Super Bowl LIX MVP knows all about the grind — from college benchings to NFL criticism — and has come out on top, leading the Eagles to their second Lombardi Trophy last season.

“There’s an obligation to be yourself,” Hurts added. “It wasn’t an easy journey. It’s always going to have challenges, but I keep humble, work first, and hopefully my actions speak louder than anything I can say.”

Sanders, drafted in the fifth round by Cleveland, enters a crowded QB room with Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and former Eagle Kenny Pickett, as Deshaun Watson is out for the season with a torn Achilles. In his preseason opener, Sanders went 14-of-23 for 138 yards and two touchdowns against Carolina.

However, Wednesday wasn’t all positive for the rookie — he sustained an oblique injury during drills before practice and is now day-to-day, likely missing Saturday’s preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field.

For Browns fans, it was a small moment of mentorship. For Eagles fans, it was another reminder: in Philly, even rival rookies want to learn from Jalen Hurts.

Eagles Head Coach Announces A.J. Brown To Start On The Bench For Standout Rookie After Poor Performance vs. Broncos
  Philadelphia, PA — the Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach confirmed that A.J. Brown will start on the bench in Week 6 against the New York Giants, with the boundary starting spot going to rookie WR Taylor Morin—an undrafted signing out of Wake Forest who flashed through rookie camp and the preseason. The decision follows an underwhelming offensive showing against the Denver Broncos, where several snaps highlighted the unit being out of sync between Brown and Jalen Hurts. On a midfield option route, Hurts read Cover-2 and waited for an inside break into the soft spot, while Brown maintained a vertical stem and widened to the boundary to stretch the corner. The ball fell into empty space and the drive stalled. On a separate red-zone snap, a pre-snap hot-route signal wasn’t locked identically by the pair, resulting in a hurried throw that was broken up. The staff treated it as a reminder about route-depth precision, timing, and pre-snap communication—the micro-details that underpin the Eagles’ offense when January football arrives. Starting Morin is part of a plan to re-establish rhythm: the early script is expected to emphasize horizontal spacing, short choice/option concepts, and over routes off play-action to probe the Giants’ responses. Morin—who has shown strong hands in tight windows and clean timing in the preseason—should give the call sheet a steadier platform, while Brown will be “activated” in high-leverage downs such as 3rd-and-medium, two-minute, and red zone to maximize his body control, early separation, and the coverage gravity that can force New York to roll coverage. Facing the tough call, Brown kept his response brief but competitive:“I can’t accept letting a kid take my spot, but I respect his decision. Let’s see what we’re saying after the game. I’ll practice and wait for my chance. When the ball is in the air, everyone will know who I am.” Operationally, the staff is expected to streamline the call sheet between Hurts and Brown: standardize option-route depths, clearly flag hot signals, and increase game-speed reps in 7-on-7 and team periods so both are “seeing it the same and triggering the same.” Handing the start to Morin also resets the locker-room standard: every role is earned by tape and daily detail—even for a star of Brown’s caliber. If Brown converts the message into cleaner stems and precise landmarks—catching the ball at the spot and on time—the Eagles anticipate early returns: fewer dead drives, better red-zone execution when back-shoulder throws and choice routes are run “in the same language,” and an offense that regains tempo before taking on Big Blue. With Taylor Morin in the opening script, Philadelphia hopes the fresh piece is enough to jump-start the attack from the first series.