‘He’s Got It’: Jalen Hurts Gives Dontayvion Wicks His Stamp of Approval
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts doesn’t go out of his way to praise anyone. The 27-year-old former Super Bowl MVP is normally stoic and incredibly calculated, especially at the podium. Yet Hurts appears to be letting his personality show a bit more in 2026 and he didn’t hold back when recently asked about one of Philadelphia’s newest wide receivers during training camp.
When the Eagles traded with the Green Bay Packers for wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks on April 11, it was a move that mostly flew under the radar. Wicks was never more than a depth piece in Green Bay and was traded to Philadelphia while A.J. Brown’s future was still up in the air. Yet fast forward to today and Wicks has established himself as one of Philadelphia’s top wide receivers and is quickly gaining the trust of Hurts.
While DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon have battled hamstring injuries, Wicks has remained one of the few constants at wide receiver during training camp for the Eagles. According to reporters in attendance, Wicks has made several highlight plays, some of which have even been shared by Philadelphia’s social media team. Hurts was actually mic’d up for Wicks’ most impressive play of training camp.
“Good catch,” Hurts said as he jogged over to Wicks after the play. “Way to get that s*** dog, I like s*** like that.”
It’s always fun to get a peak behind the curtain with mic’d up clips from the team, as they don’t usually feature Hurts. Yet that glimpse into Hurts’ reaction to Wicks’ impressive catch, along with what QB1 had to say when asked about the 25-year-old wide receiver, is enough to get excited about the new connection heading into the regular season.
“He’s got great work ethic, he’s got great hunger,” Hurts said when specifically asked about Wicks following Wednesday’s practice. “In the summer time, he was beating down the door trying to spend that time and just work. He’s twitchy and can attack the ball.”
“You learn a lot about the guys around you, around this time of camp,” Hurts continued. “It’s humid, it’s sticky, it’s hot. You see who’s got that anger to him, who’s got a little bit of rage in him, for the best — he’s got it.”
“That’s exciting to see. He runs great routes and it’ll be exciting to see him work this season. Great aggression, he has.”
Based on those quotes, it’s clear that Hurts is a big fan of Wicks’ skillset and more importantly, his attitude. While it’s disappointing to see Smith and Lemon continue to miss practice, it’s encouraging to see Wicks take advantage of his opportunities to start training camp in Philadelphia. Following the departure of Brown, the Eagles needed someone to step up at wide receiver and Wicks surely seems like he’ll be a starter in Week 1.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman showed his confidence in Wicks when Philadelphia traded for, and extended him, back in April. It was clear that the franchise bought into Wicks’ upside, despite his inconsistent usage in Green Bay. Yet through the first few weeks of training camp, it’s become clear that Wicks has already earned the most important thing of all — the stamp of approval from Jalen Hurts.