It has been the dominant storyline in the NFL over the last few days, as many are still seeking answers about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
The team announced earlier in the week that Hurts was ruled out for their Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers due to a blood clot that had moved from his calf. Hurts told the media he suffered the calf injury in the Eagles’ Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He still traveled and played through the calf injury in the Week 6 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
After signing Joe Milton, many fans expected the Eagles to place Hurts on IR to let him recover, but instead they placed Will Shipley on IR. That leaves the question of what the plan is for Hurts.
NFL Insider Shares Philadelphia Eagles’ Plan With Jalen Hurts
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter shared an update from him and Ian Rapoport regarding Hurts. Schefter shared what the Eagles plan to do with Hurts for now.
“The Philadelphia Eagles are not planning to place quarterback Jalen Hurts on injured reserve, sources told @RapSheet and me, even as he remains sidelined indefinitely because of a superficial blood clot.”
Hurts has completed 57.8% of his passes for 933 yards and 8 touchdowns to 3 interceptions in five games. He’s also run for 107 yards and 1 touchdown.
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The focus right now is making sure Hurts is okay after his blood clot before thinking about play. Doctors who have appeared on television and radio have given his estimated timeline to return as anywhere between three weeks and multiple months.
With so much uncertainty, the Eagles won’t do anything about it for the moment. They could do something in the next week or two once they have a clearer idea.
While Hurts is out, it will be Tanner McKee who starts for the Eagles at quarterback. Rookie fifth-round pick Cole Payton will be the backup, and Milton will be the third-stringer for this week.
The plan is for McKee to hold on to the job, and Milton will move up as the backup once he learns the offense. If things go south with McKee, they at least have Milton to fall back on.
Until then, the goal is for Hurts to get healthy and improve for his next appearance, whether that is this season or next year. The Eagles are still good enough to survive without Hurts while he focuses on himself. This will be the ultimate test of how good the team can be without its franchise quarterback.
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