New Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Quarterback Jalen Hurts’s reaction was one of joyful relief when the Philadelphia Eagles selected the former Alabama and Oklahoma standout in the second round (53rd overall) Friday in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Soon after the pick was announced, Hurts took to Twitter to express his gratitude and remind his followers of God’s faithfulness. “God is Always In Control,” he wrote. “Just Never Lose Faith! John 13:7! #FlyEaglesFly”
John 13:7 quotes Jesus saying, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
Hurts — whose Twitter banner photo says, “Be who God called you to be” — will join a quarterback room in Philadelphia with already-established starter and devout follower of Christ, Carson Wentz. And while many were shocked that the Eagles would spend a second-round pick on a quarterback with the 27-year-old Wentz having just signed a four-year contract extension last year, the 2017 NFC Pro Bowler welcomed Hurts to Philadelphia.
In college, Hurts won a national championship with Alabama in 2018, when freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa directed an Alabama comeback over Georgia. Tagovailoa — the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft — won the starting quarterback job the following season, and Hurts later transferred to Oklahoma.
Hurts led the Sooners to a 12-2 record and a spot in the College Football Playoff last fall. He was a 2019 Heisman Trophy finalist as he set career highs with 3,851 yards passing, 32 passing touchdowns, 1,298 yards rushing and 20 rushing touchdowns.
“I know everything will unfold according to God’s timing,” Hurts wrote in a Player’s Tribune article after leaving Alabama. “I am blessed to be where my feet are; my trust is in His hands.”
TreVeyon Henderson in February 2026 at Super Bowl LX. (Adam Hunger/AP Content Services for NFL)
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING TREVEYON HENDERSON
TreVeyon Henderson is a running back with the New England Patriots. He was a second-round draft pick in 2025 and in his rookie season helped New England to an AFC championship and a trip to Super Bowl LX. In college at Ohio State, he led the Buckeyes to a national championship in 2024.
Today on the podcast, TreVeyon joins Matt Forte to talk about his rookie season in the NFL, being bold for Jesus, proclaiming his faith at the Super Bowl, and the importance of keeping Christ at the center of his marriage.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING GEREMY DAVIS
Geremy Davis is a former NFL wide receiver who played six seasons with the New York Giants, San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions from 2015 to 2020. In college, he was a standout wide receiver at UConn, where he caught a pass in every game he played for the Huskies.
Today on the podcast, Davis joins host Matt Forte for a poignant discussion on identity, football as an idol, trusting in God without fear, and Geremy’s post-playing career endeavors, including his new show, “Golf and the Gospel,” on YouTube.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING JUWAN JOHNSON
Juwan Johnson is a tight end for the New Orleans Saints. He went undrafted in 2020 out of college after spending four seasons with Penn State and a fifth at Oregon. He signed with the Saints after the 2020 NFL Draft and has become an integral part of New Orleans’ offense. In 2025, he had his best season as a pro, with a career-high 77 receptions and 889 receiving yards.
Today on the podcast, Juwan Johnson opens up about how putting Christ first transformed his identity beyond the jersey. He shares about how to lead with a servant’s heart in the spotlight, from handling the pressures of the NFL to finding a deeper purpose off the field.
Justin Simmons retires as a Denver Bronco, April 19, 2026. (Photo via X/@Broncos)
After nine NFL seasons, including two Pro Bowl selections, Justin Simmons is calling it a career. He made the announcement on Wednesday — 10 years to the day since he was selected in the third round as the No. 98 pick by the Denver Broncos.
He spent his first eight seasons in Denver before playing the 2024 season with the Atlanta Falcons; he didn’t play in 2025. He retires with 32 career interceptions, which ranks second in the NFL since 2016 behind Kevin Byard, and his 30 picks in a Broncos uniform rank sixth in franchise history.
“Being a Denver Bronco was more than just a team. It was my heart, my home and my story,” Simmons wrote in an Instagram post.
He was full of gratitude during his formal press conference on Wednesday as well.
“This is more than I deserve,” Simmons said. “This is truly one-of-one. I can’t put into words how thankful I am for the generosity and the hospitality that you’ve shown my family and I. Like I said, this is beyond my wildest dreams. Ten years ago to the day, walking into the building, eyes [wide] like this, not knowing whose hands I’m shaking, but just wanting to make a difference on the field.”
After a standout career at Boston College, Simmons made his mark on the NFL through appearing in 134 games (118 for Denver), including 124 starts. He was a second-team All-Pro four times, a two-time Pro Bowler, the NFL co-leader in interceptions in 2022, and Denver’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee three different times.
The Broncos created a video montage with Simmons recapping his career, including some of the highlights, such as being named All-Pro and earning his first NFL sack — when he took down New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as a rookie.
“Being a Denver Bronco was more than just a team. It was my heart, my home and my story.”
His tenure in Denver came to an end after the 2023 season when the Broncos opted to release him in order to save money in cap space. Even then, he responded with gratitude toward the organization that gave him a chance in the NFL.
After the transaction became official, he showed up at the team’s headquarters to say “thank you” and “good bye” to team employees.
“There is so much that goes into playing well on Sunday. Even outside of practice. The nutritionist, the athletic trainer, those in the training room, the people upstairs in the front office who help with logistics, and so many others,” Simmons told the Denver Post in June 2024. “I might not have said ‘thank you’ every day I walked in, but I wanted to make sure that my last time roaming those halls as a player I said ‘thank you’ and took time to let them all know that their work and words behind closed doors meant so much to me and played a big part in my success.”
Denver Post columnist Troy Renck wrote, “Employees who have been with the Broncos for the past two decades could not recall a player more gracious in his departure, more intentional in his purpose.”
Those thank-yous continued to come in bulk Wednesday during his retirement press conference. Simmons thanked everyone from the top of the organization and down, including former coaches, players and other staff members.
He also explained what led to his decision to retire. When the Broncos released him, he still wanted to play football and be somewhere that provided a chance to play in the playoffs, as the Broncos never made the postseason during his time with the team. He felt the Falcons gave him that, though it proved tough to be in a new city while his wife, Taryn, and three kids continued to live in Denver and commute to games on the weekends.
“Literally a week-and-a-half into it, it was the most miserable part of being in Atlanta. It was hard,” he said in the press conference. “I felt like I was parenting on FaceTime. It was hard being away from the kids. It was hard seeing Taryn struggle with them out here — not on her own but without dad it’s hard. I missed my wife. I missed my kids. I missed what was so familiar for eight years. It’s things that I took for granted and you don’t know until it’s gone.”
When the 2025 season came around and he was a free agent, he still wanted to play but felt like he needed to be very specific about where that would be. Nothing panned out with the few teams he was interested in.
“But while I was sitting on the couch cheering for the Broncos and watching some of my guys play around the league, there was a sense of peace that I hadn’t really felt before,” he said in his press conference. “Honestly every day that when by, I was still training, still hoping to play, but every day that went by I felt like my relationship with my family was growing. For eight years, I didn’t have that.
“… It came to the surface, like, it’s just time. Praying about it. We wanted to be very diligent and taking our time, but it was just time. I’ve always been so thankful for the crew that I’ve had around my life, the village of people that it takes because they helped me make that decision.”
Those who know Simmons are not surprised by any of this. His character on and off the field is fueled by his faith in Jesus. He describes himself on X as “an imperfect and unworthy follower of Jesus, saved by grace.” On Instagram, he calls himself a “child of the King.” He has long been outspoken about his faith and detailed his journey of coming to salvation in Jesus in an “I Once Was” video with Sports Spectrum.
In a devotional Simmons wrote for the Summer 2024 edition of Sports Spectrum Magazine, he said, “When you’re in tune with the Lord, His signs are glaring. Then it’s ultimately up to you to allow the Spirit to work within you to make you start walking in the direction of that sign. God knows what you’re going through. God knows what you’re praying for. Dive into what He’s trying to tell you. Don’t run away from it.”
