Getty Jalen Hurts played through the flu during the Philadelphia Eagles' win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts confirmed the rumors that he played through the flu during the team’s 25-11 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hurts offered a one-word response when asked if the rumors of his sickness were true: “yeah.” When pressed on whether it impacted his play and his feelings on playing through obvious pain, Hurts responded with another short response: “we won.”
Aside from the two interceptions, Hurts had a solid performance given the circumstances throwing for 277 yards and a touchdown while completing 62% of his passes in the Week 3 victory. Hurts also added 28 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. The quarterback provided more context noting that he has experience playing through illness before.
“Just us executing,” Hurts said during a September 25, 2023 press conference when asked how he was able to play through the sickness. “This ain’t the first game where I’ve dealt with this and I’ve had to play with something like this. And it always happens on Monday night for whatever reason.”
Philadelphia Eagles Defender Brandon Graham Joked About Michael Jordan Flu Game Comparison
It hard not to think about Michael Jordan’s famous flu game against the Jazz during the 1997 NBA finals when players fight through illness, especially in a victory. Eagles defender Brandon Graham joked about Hurts attempting to channel his inner Jordan during the Monday Night Football win.
“Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham joked afterward that Hurts, who recently signed with Nike’s Jordan brand, was just trying to be like Mike, who famously put up 38 points for the Chicago Bulls in a win over the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals while dealing with an illness,” ESPN’s Tim McManus wrote on September 26.
“It wasn’t that epic: Hurts had an up-and-down night, throwing and rushing for a touchdown while also tossing a couple of interceptions. But he did dazzle with a couple of his throws.”
Commanders vs. Eagles: Philadelphia Opens as an 8.5-Point Favorite Over Washington
The good news is the Eagles were able to remain undefeated despite Hurts being at less than 100%. Vegas believes Philadelphia has a good chance to push their unbeaten streak to four. The Eagles are a sizable 8.5-point favorite over the Commanders. The over-under is set at 44.5, per FanDuel.
As the Cowboys experienced against the Cardinals in Week 3, nothing is a guarantee in the NFL. Dallas entered the matchup as a double-digit favorite before Arizona came away with a 12-point upset victory.
Philadelphia Eagles Star A.J. Brown Was Also Dealing With Stomach Issues in Week 3
Hurts was not the only one playing hurt as star receiver A.J. Brown revealed he was also dealing with stomach issues. Given this news, it is impressive the Eagles were able to pull off a dominant road victory over a previously undefeated Bucs team. Brown is already crossing off a certain eating establishment from his pregame routine.
“Jalen Hurts confirmed he played last night with flu like symptoms and AJ Brown says he had a stomach issue and won’t be eating Takis anymore,” NBC Sports Philadelphia John Clark tweeted on September 26.