Getty Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is dealing with a sore throwing shoulder as he prepares for an NFC playoff matchup vs. the New York Giants.
The Philadelphia Eagles might be preparing for the third installment of the “Bounty Bowl” this weekend. Only this time, swap the New York Giants in as the enemy (not the Dallas Cowboys) out to hurt dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts. They could be intentionally targeting his injured right shoulder in an effort to limit his scrambling ability.
Hurts addressed reporters on Tuesday and mostly stuck to the script. He’s “feeling good” and doesn’t anticipate any limitations in terms of his throwing motion or his ability to make defenders miss on designed runs.
He intends to put his full arsenal on display on Saturday night in the NFC Divisional Round. Hurts has no intentions of playing scared or afraid. Look for him to drop that injured shoulder down and pick up tough first downs.
“It’s football. I got a bounty on me every week I go out there on the field,” Hurts said. “So I’m going to go out there and just play my game. Whatever happens, happens.”
More from Jalen Hurts as he attempted to clarify his quote about having a bounty on his injured right shoulder: “Obviously the quarterback gets a lot of attention. Every quarterback in the league has a bounty on them in a sense.” #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly
Let’s be clear: Hurts wasn’t accusing Giants players of resorting to dirty tactics. The point he was trying to make was that every NFL quarterback is at risk for injury whenever they strap the pads on. Quarterbacks are targeted on every single play as pass rushers are instructed to sack the guy under center.
When asked if he planned to play it safe and take calculated risks, Hurts replied: “I don’t know. It depends on how it goes.”
Nick Sirianni Provides Further Injury Updates
Head coach Nick Sirianni provided an injury update on his starting quarterback prior to Tuesday’s walk-through and declared Hurts healthier than he was two weeks ago. Outside of that, he refused to give out any specifics on how much the soreness has improved in Hurts’ injured throwing shoulder.
“The same thing I’m going to tell you, he’s better today than he was two weeks ago, right? And he’s continuing to get better and he feels good,” Sirianni told reporters. “I’ll let him tell you how he feels, but looking forward to seeing him go out there and practice today, and go through everything today.”
Coach Sirianni gives updates on Avonte Maddox, Jalen Hurts, and Lane Johnson.
The Eagles are also dealing with injuries to nickel cornerback Avonte Maddox (toe) and right tackle Lane Johnson (groin). According to Sirianni, they are keeping a close eye on both Maddox and Johnson as they “push through” their injuries.
He reminded everyone that a full practice report would be distributed after their walk-through. Then, Sirianni added a rather encouraging new tidbit about Hurts: “He’ll be ready to go today, full go.”
Hurts Explains What ‘It’s a Philly Thing’ Means
The Eagles have been shoving a new playoff motto down everyone’s throats on social media: “It’s a Philly thing.” The phrase was first coined by Hurts when he was describing the intense and unwavering support thrown on the team by the City of Philadelphia.
Start your week off right by telling a stranger on the street Go Birds!
It’s not hard to feel all that support out there on the football field, especially when the lights get bright at Lincoln Financial Field. Hurts has expressed his appreciation for the fan’s passion multiple times this season, whether he does it at his post-game press conferences or after a charity event. The love is real.
“It’s a swagger,” Hurts said. “When you talk about the passion in this city, the support in this city, the love for the Philadelphia Eagles in this city, it’s truly a Philly thing and not many other people will understand that. It’s a special city. It’s a special time. And we’re taking it day by day but obviously, we know we have the support of our city through everything and let’s show up on Saturday.”