It’s been a wild few weeks for the Philadelphia Eagles following back-to-back losses and the uncertain status of starting quarterback Jalen Hurts. The team is expected to have their MVP candidate once again leading the offense on Sunday in a must-win game against the New York Giants.
The scenario is simple, win and get the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Eagles would also clinch the NFC East crown with a victory and a first-round bye in the playoffs. All the more reason for Hurts to play. The dual-threat quarterback has been mum about how he’s feeling all week. The Eagles didn’t make him available to answer questions from the media, instead officially listing him questionable on the final injury report.
However, Hurts’ teammates (see: A.J. Brown) had hinted at Hurts suiting up and playing in the regular-season finale. There are multiple reports indicating that will be the case, including a sourced one from The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane.
Jalen Hurts will start at QB for the #Eagles on Sunday vs. the N.Y. Giants, NFL sources said.
Not a huge surprise.
Hurts (right shoulder) was listed as questionable on Friday after being a limited participant at practice all week. He missed the previous two games.
Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert didn’t confirm Hurts’ status, but he was willing to divulge the quarterback’s mindset. Hurts’ swagger changes everything, according to NFL Network’s James Palmer, and he was tired of sitting helplessly on the sideline.
“He has that look in his eyes that no matter what is going on, he’s going to get the job done,” Goedert told Palmer. “He’s to the point where he’s like f*** it. Y’all ain’t doing it, I’ll do it myself. He has that swagger.”
Nick Sirianni Delivers Update on Jalen Hurts
Head coach Nick Sirianni wasn’t willing to announce Hurts would be the starter when he met with reporters on Friday. He dodged the question in several different formats before relenting a bit when asked about the “comfortability level” of Hurts potentially absorbing a hit in his injured right shoulder.
“If he’s ready to play, we’ll play him. It’s really as simple as that,” Sirianni told reporters. “If we feel like he’s trending in the right direction and after today’s practice and after he goes through his rehab today and all those different things that he’s ready to go, the contact, the hits, the throwing, everything is obviously taken into account. That’s why I’m trying to clarify. We don’t segment anything, it’s just like he’s ready to play or not ready to play.”
Friday injury report
The Eagles also made a few minor roster moves prior to kickoff on Sunday. They released veteran guard Sua Opeta in a bit of a head-scratching move, then activated safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and defensive end Robert Quinn from injured reserve. They also signed punter Brett Kern to the active roster from the practice squad and placed linebacker Shaun Bradley and defensive end Janarius Robinson on injured reserve.
Giants Plan to Start Davis Webb at Quarterback
The New York Giants have nothing to play for in Week 18 and will treat it as a meaningless game. The team plans to rest all of their key players, including starting quarterback Daniel Jones and backup Tyrod Taylor.
The New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy reported that Davis Webb would draw the start after he was elevated from the practice squad on Saturday. The 27-year-old has only appeared in one game, a 45-17 loss in 2021 when he was a member of the Buffalo Bills. He didn’t attempt a single pass in that one.
QB Davis Webb is expected to start for #Giants vs. #Eagles, multiple sources tell me. Furthering @MikeGarafolo report of Webb being active, spurning Dolphins interest & playing Sunday.
Great (overdue) opportunity for the 2017 3rd round pick who has never thrown a pass.
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Eagles Teammate Shares Jalen Hurts’ Surprising Mindset: ‘F*** It’