Jalen Hurts confessed to what Eagles teammates have started to notice with him
The calm, cool, collected, and stoic demeanor of Jalen Hurts was brought up by Philadelphia media prior to Week 8.
Hurts' "look" was talked about throughout the week, with players bringing it up as knowing that their star quarterback was in the zone. During Hurts' media availability, he responded to a question about the "look" and whether he notices it.
"I'm not going into saying I'm going to affect people in this way with this mentality or this level of fortitude. I'm just going out there and playing the game with the mental focus I've developed over the years. I always hope to influence people in the best ways. Ultimately, everybody gets to that mode in a different way. I guess they're noticing that in me."
Hurts' "look" need to return more often for Eagles to win
Hurts' look could be likened to the "Mamba Mentality" that was made famous by the late Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. Hurts has been known for his calming demeanor, often oversimplifying answers when talking with media members. Recently, Hurts has been a calming force in the Eagles locker room, especially amid so much uncertainty on the field from the offense, along with constantly having to field questions about A.J. Brown's recent displeasure and aloof behavior.
For Hurts, one thing has been constant since he took over for Carson Wentz in 2020. He's consistently been focused on the "main thing," which has, of course, been winning and ultimately accumulating multiple Super Bowl victories. While the stoic Hurts may have his shortcomings as a quarterback at times, his leadership during the turbulent times in Philadelphia has never been a question mark to fans and media alike.
Hurts' persona embodies the spirit of the 2025 Philadelphia Eagles, serving as their consistent figure amid a season with immense expectations.
While statistics and game results will always dominate headlines, it’s Hurts’ unwavering demeanor and mental resilience that continue to set the tone for his teammates and the organization as a whole. While stats and game results will always dominate headlines, Hurts' ability to stay "locked in" and focus on the "main thing" is what makes him the perfect leader for the franchise at this time.
Austin Reaves, LeBron James & Luka Doncic Among Lakers Players Ruled Out Of Preseason Game Vs. Warriors
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick announced that Austin Reaves is out in Sunday night’s preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. He joins Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Maxi Kleber and Adou Thiero on the sidelines, although Gabe Vincent will be in the lineup making his preseason debut.
Reaves doesn’t seems to be dealing with an injury, but Redick recently spoke about being cautious with him, James and Doncic this preseason knowing they will all carry big workloads in the regular season.
Meanwhile, Vincent missed practice early in training camp to manage the knee issue that has plagued him for the last two seasons. He then also sat out the preseason opener against the Phoenix Suns in Palm Springs on Friday night before now making his debut on Sunday.
With Reaves sitting out, Vincent will presumably take his place in the starting lineup alongside Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton.
Outside of Reaves, the Lakers really struggled to score against the Suns so that will be an even bigger challenge in this one. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr announced that he plans to play his starters, including Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, in the first half.
Redick has been open about not installing too many things yet, especially on the defensive end of the floor, so this should be a tough test against a Warriors team playing its stars.
JJ Redick on Lakers’ plan for Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic is missing his second straight Lakers preseason game despite not being injured. JJ Redick recently spoke about the plan for him this preseason
“Our expectation is Luka will play in the preseason,” Redick said on Friday night. “We’re gonna use next week to continue to just get him in a good spot with his body and energy and all that stuff. He was great the first two days of camp, it was a lot. I think it made sense given his workload this summer to just kind of pull back. He’s in a great place physically, mentally. So we’ll just continue to use next week to get him ramped up and get all the guys acclimated with him.”
The Lakers get a week off after Sunday night’s game, giving them time on the practice court before their final four preseason games.
