Jalen Hurts leads the Philadelphia Eagles into Gillette Stadium on Sunday against the New England Patriots in an intriguing Week 1 matchup.

Hurts returns to the field after a 3,700-yard passing season in 2022 with another 760 yards on the ground to lead the Eagles to a 14-3 record, the NFC’s No. 1 seed and an appearance in Super Bowl LVII.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick offered significant admiration for Hurts on Wednesday when he referred to the quarterback as “arguably the best player in the league.”

Later in the afternoon, the Philadelphia passer returned the respect for the longtime New England head coach.

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“I think he’s arguably one of the best coaches to ever coach this game,” Hurts told reporters in Philadelphia, per a team-provided video. “The consistency he’s been able to have and the production he’s been able to have. Obviously, how he impacts people from afar. I have a lot of respect for that. Nice words from him.”

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Hurts did not play during the only previous meeting between the Patriots and Eagles during his NFL career when New England posted a 35-0 preseason win in 2021.

Hurts and the Eagles look to start the season strong against the Patriots with kickoff set for 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

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Featured image via Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports Images