A lot has been made about an article by Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Jeff McLane that took a deeper look at Jalen Hurts and his subsequent leadership skills. It included several quotes from the starting quarterback’s teammates, including punt returner Britain Covey.
The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, who penned the piece, labeled Covey as someone who might be the polar opposite of the Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback in temperament but highlighted his quarterback’s ability to interact with most if not all of his teammates, which includes him eating lunch in the cafeteria with practice squad players.
While that was a neat anecdote, there’s a particular quote a couple of paragraphs down from Covey that stood out to readers.
“I’ve played for coaches before that claim to have an open-door policy, and their door is always open, but they’re really intimidating,” Covey said. “And I think Jalen is similar to that in that he has an open-door policy, but because of his personality at times, if [you’re a new player and] haven’t been around enough, it can be a little intimidating.”
After McLane’s report, The National Football Show with Dan Sileo, a daily sports talk show available on YouTube, did a segment on the story where host Dan Sileo and former Eagles offensive lineman Barrett Brooks misinterpreted the quotes attributed to Covey.
Britain Covey mentioned that Jalen Hurts' personality can be a little bit intimidating, possibly adding to the team tension, per @PhillyInquirer.
“Covey said, well, I’ve always had the time to go in and talk to any coach. An open door policy. But I didn’t because I was scared to… pic.twitter.com/e5SatMQlc8
— JAKIB Sports (@JAKIBSports) January 23, 2024
“Covey said, well, I’ve always had the time to go in and talk to any coach,” said Brooks. “An open-door policy. But I didn’t because I was scared to death to go in there. He equated that to the same thing as Jalen Hurts. I believe I can go talk to him, but I never did because I was scared to death.”
That’s an inaccurate paraphrasing of Covey’s quote and seems to put words in his mouth. While it’s unsurprising that his comments have gained attention in Philadelphia sports media, improper context seemed to draw incorrect conclusions about what Covey meant.
Covey responded to Sileo and Brooks on social media, clarifying that he never viewed Jalen as unapproachable and held him in high regard as the best leader he’s encountered.
Normally I don’t respond to things like this because I’d hope that people don’t believe everything they hear/read. Jalen is the best leader I’ve ever been around. So you can hear it straight from me, not someone else. I NEVER said he was unapproachable, or I was scared of him
— Britain Covey (@brit_covey2) January 24, 2024
I truly don’t get this narrative. Jalen’s authenticity is what makes him a great leader. He’ll eat lunch with the “lowest” ranking guys on the team, like myself. He is a great friend and teammate
— Britain Covey (@brit_covey2) January 24, 2024
McLane also chimed in to rebuke Sileo and Brooks’ misrepresentations of Covey’s words, providing context through the actual quote and an insightful anecdote.
This isn't close to what Britain Covey said, as was represented in the Inquirer story.
1. He was complimentary of Jalen Hurts' leadership style and said he was authentic to himself and said he shouldn't change to appease others. He also noted that Hurts will have lunch with… https://t.co/0Tqsze3rlm
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) January 24, 2024
“And when he was talking about Hurts’ open-door policy and approaching him, he wasn’t talking about himself; he was talking about how new players could be “a little bit” intimidated. Covey wasn’t relating it to team tension at all,” shared McLane.
JAKIB Sports, which hosts the show and dubs itself “the premier digital media outlet for Philadelphia sports fans,” has not retracted or corrected the hosts’ remarks despite offering clarity.
For clarity: This is the accurate representation of what was stated in the article. To avoid confusion, please read the articlehttps://t.co/qxhUfb1xQz https://t.co/0KNlx7EP0t
— JAKIB Sports (@JAKIBSports) January 24, 2024
There’s a lot of emotion swirling around Hurts and the Eagles right now following the disappointing finish to their season, so it makes sense that Philly media members are looking for storylines and narratives to latch onto. However, this situation showcases the dangers of misinterpreting quotes and the responsibility of media outlets to present information accurately. While JAKIB Sports has yet to address the misrepresentation fully, Covey’s clarification and McLane’s reporting provide valuable context that should not be overlooked.