PHILADELPHIA - Jalen Hurts is heading into Week 1 aligned with new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion — not because the Eagles have finished building their offense, but because Hurts says the partnership already has a clear direction.Speaking Wednesday as Philadelphia ramped up preparations to host the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Hurts described Mannion’s coaching as consistent from the first days of install through the first true game-plan week of the regular season.“I think he coaches the exact same way,” Hurts said. “In training camp, you’re installing an offense, and you don’t have the walkthroughs, and you’re not watching the tape as intentional and as diligent as you are in a season. So a lot of that is time to kind of find yourself, calibrate a bit, feel out things, and get a feel for what you’re doing. “So we are where we are right now, and we’re gonna continue to build forward.”That word — calibrate — has followed Hurts through the offseason as Mannion installed a Shanahan- and McVay-influenced offensive system built on wide-zone principles, play-action, and more under-center work than Hurts has typically been asked to perform. The quarterback has been careful not to preview how often he will run, however. Asked whether the vague answers about the ground game were gamesmanship, the Eagles quarterback framed it more as buy-in.“I think for my career, my approach on it, especially as it’s gone on and the changes continued, is going and doing what I’m asked to do and really trying to understand what the goal is, what the objective is, and how I’m gonna execute,” Hurts said. “I don’t know how things will look. I don’t know what the flow will be. But I think I’m excited about having a North Star and coach telling us what he intends on doing and how he wants to attack.” A Guiding PrincipleJul 30, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion during training camp at Jefferson Health Training Complex. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectMannion is that “North Star,” a label coined by quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier and it refers to the conviction Mannion has in his plan.“I’m saying in general,” Hurts responded when talking about Mannion and the guiding principle of the offense. “When you watch this offense from afar, that’s not an element that you see. “... So I think it’s definitely a unique opportunity there, but that’s up to Coach Sean and how he wants to steward that, and we’ve gotta build that chemistry.”The deference should be the bigger story here than the scheme. Hurts said he is “always willing and open to doing anything and everything to win,” but he refused to treat designed quarterback runs as a weekly staple.“It’s not like you say, ‘I’m gonna drop back and run it on this play.’ Like, you gotta play the game. So we’ll find that feel and see where it goes,” he explained.Identity, Hurts added, will not arrive like a lightning strike. Asked what he needs to see Sunday against the Commanders to know the offense is moving in the right direction, Hurts pointed back to head coach Nick Sirianni’s principles and to Mannion’s preferences.“The goals that Coach Sirianni has set for us are great points to follow and just playing fundamental football, playing assignment alignment, key football, controlling the things we can on the field, playing with great mentality, great edge and high effort,” Hurts said. “It starts with coach and goes on to everyone getting in line and executing what he’s asking us to do.”Make sure you bookmark Philadelphia Eagles on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow