December 23, 2024
Content sponsored by
Peter Casey/Imagn Images
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts had to leave Sunday's loss to the Commanders early when spotters detected him for concussion symptoms. He was evaluated and didn't return.
Jalen Hurts is in the NFL's concussion protocol, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni confirmed during his Monday video call with the media.
The Eagles lost their starting quarterback just over five minutes of game time into Sunday's 36-33 loss to the Washington Commanders on the road. Hurts took off on a second-down run and as he fell forward, he took a hit to the head on the way down to the grass.
Officials and sideline spotters noticed symptoms as he stood back up, and pulled him off the field for evaluation while Eagles backup QB Kenny Pickett went in. Hurts was ruled out with a concussion for the remainder of Sunday's game. Pickett was shaky, but did leave the Eagles with a chance to still win until it all fell apart at the end.
Now the Eagles will be in a bit of a holding pattern waiting to see who their quarterback might be for Week 17, when they come back home to face the Dallas Cowboys, and with the NFC East still clinchable with just one more win.
"We just lean on the doctors to let us know on a daily basis of where he is," Sirianni said of Hurts.
Pickett, as the QB2, went 14-for-24 with passing for 143 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in relief of Hurts on Sunday.
He got sacked three times in the second half as Washington clawed its way back, and one of the hits appeared to shake him up, even though he stayed in and finished the game. Pickett said postgame that it was his ribs that were hurting, but Sirianni had no update about that on Monday.
Tanner McKee is the next man up behind Pickett, though, and did outplay him in the preseason, which led to questions about the third-stringer also.
Sirianni vouched for each of them with Hurts' status for this coming Sunday in limbo.
"Tanner gives us a lot of confidence. Kenny gives us a lot of confidence," Sirianni said."I think that's just a tribute to [general manager Howie Roseman] and his staff, of the all the pieces that he's given us to work with, and the depth that he's given us to work with."
Wide receiver DeVonta Smith, and defensive backs Darius Slay and Reed Blankenship each suffered concussions earlier in the season, and their resulting time in the protocol each led to them missing a game after a week of being unable to practice.
A similar timeline for Hurts is a strong likelihood, and a factor the Eagles will brace for in their gameplanning for this week.
"You adjust," Sirianni said of whether Hurts or Pickett (or McKee) will be the QB. "There are a lot of similarities. There are little differences, but there are differences. It's just something you adjust to. This is the unfortunate part of the NFL. We've had a lot of experience doing this with different positions, and that includes the quarterback."
There is a slight chance that Hurts won't miss the Cowboys game, but that would be a tough prospect.
He would have to clear all his tests with the doctors and prove he's not at a major re-injury risk, which would be a process that would likely prevent him from getting in any practice reps before Sunday.
Sirianni didn't dismiss the possibility of letting Hurts go back in without any practice if he does get cleared, but he was far from committing to anything either.
The Eagles are going to have to wait on a lot.
"Each and every week is a different scenario," Sirianni said. "What I've seen is Jalen knows how to prepare, knows how to get himself ready. He is a true pro."
Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick
Follow Nick on Bluesky: @itssnick
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
