Eagles' Marcus Mariota addresses criticisms aimed at Jalen Hurts

Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Marcus Mariota sounds uninterested in hearing any criticisms regarding leadership qualities aimed at starter Jalen Hurts this holiday season. 

"I think if you were to ask players throughout this locker room whose voice is heard and who’s somebody who people are going to look to for leadership, I would say most people would say Jalen," Mariota told Bob Brookover of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "He’s a guy that no matter what, he will say what he needs to say and he’s confident in that and I respect him for that. It’s not easy at that position to be able to maybe voice all the time what you want, but he does an unbelievable job in feeling confident in himself and in just being himself." 

Hurts generated headlines when he said shortly after Philadelphia's 20-17 loss at the Seattle Seahawks last Monday night that he felt the team wasn't "committed enough." All-Pro center Jason Kelce later revealed he had no problem with Hurts' comments, and the 25-year-old signal-caller explained on Thursday he was "just trying to challenge myself" following the club's third straight defeat that dropped it to 10-4. 

"I think what’s really cool about him is he’s not trying to always get positive feedback," Mariota added about Hurts. "He wants to hear it straight. He wants to hear the truth. He wants to hear how he can be better. So for me as a guy who has played a little bit, it is rewarding because a lot of times things that I’ve been through, I hope that I can just pass along to him. That way he can feel comfortable in any situation he has to go against."