The Philadelphia Eagles have lost three consecutive games, and analyst Dan "Big Cat" Katz is drawing a troubling parallel between their quarterback and a cautionary tale from the Pacific Northwest.

"Hurts is a very good quarterback. Jalen Hurts is just a Russell Wilson 2.0," Katz said Tuesday on "Wake Up Barstool." "That's how I've thought about him for a while now, where he's a very good quarterback who needs a good defense."

The comparison cuts to the heart of a fundamental question: Can elite individual talent compensate for roster limitations, or does it eventually wear down under the weight of carrying an imperfect team?

The Russell Wilson Template

Wilson's early career proved the ceiling is real. The Seattle Seahawks started him immediately in 2012, posting an 11-5 record. They won Super Bowl XLVIII in 2013 and returned to the championship game in 2014—all powered by one of the most suffocating defenses in modern football history.

That defense featured All-Pro secondary talent in Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, and Byron Maxwell, alongside defensive ends Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril and linebackers Bobby Wagner and Bruce Irvin. From 2012-15, Seattle ranked first in the NFL in opponent points allowed. From 2013-14, they led in opponent total yards.

Wilson's numbers over nine seasons with Seattle were genuinely elite: a 99.3 passer rating (fifth all-time among qualified quarterbacks), 353 passing touchdowns, nine Pro Bowl selections, and eight double-digit winning seasons in 11 years. He was no supporting actor—he was a dynamo on the ground too, averaging 500.7 rushing yards per season from 2012-20.

But after Seattle traded him in 2022, the decline accelerated. Wilson has started 27 games across three teams since 2022 with a combined 17-27 record. The Denver Broncos benched him in 2023. The Pittsburgh Steelers kept him one year. The New York Giants benched him after three games this season for rookie Jaxson Dart.

Hurts at the Crossroads

Katz sees the pattern repeating with Hurts, who just threw four interceptions in Monday night's overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

"If you look at Russell Wilson's career arc, I kind of see the same thing coming from Jalen Hurts. You spend a lot of money on him, you then have to give up money to other places, and you're like, 'you do it.' He might have a couple years where he has to do a lot of it, and he's thrilled, but is it winning football? I don't know if it's winning football."

The Eagles' $255 million, five-year extension signed after 2022 has reshaped the roster's financial reality. Over four complete seasons as starter, Hurts has averaged 3,401.5 passing yards, 19.8 passing touchdowns, and a 94.8 passer rating, completing 65.4% of passes while adding 694.8 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns annually.

Unlike Wilson in his Seahawks prime, though, Hurts already has delivered a championship. He won MVP honors for the Eagles' 40-22 Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in February. That team's defense ranked first in opponent total yards (278.4 per game) and second in opponent points (17.8 per game).

This season, Hurts is operating with a 96.0 passer rating and 64.7% completion rate—solid numbers masking fundamental issues.

"There are a few guys in the league who can elevate a roster that might not be perfect. Jalen Hurts is a perfect example of a guy who, if you put him on a very good roster, he can do what needs to be done to win a Super Bowl."

The question now: Does Philadelphia still have that very good roster around him?