Getty Eagles QB Jalen Hurts absorbs a big hit from Bears LB Joe Thomas during Philly's 25-20 win.
Get ready for Minshew Mania. The Philadelphia Eagles are likely to tab Gardner Minshew for Saturday’s Christmas Eve showdown after Jalen Hurts suffered a sprained shoulder. Yes, it’s his throwing shoulder. He’s likely to miss a game or two despite reports that X-rays came back negative. The Eagles can clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a win over the Dallas Cowboys, but the long-term health of their starting quarterback should be paramount.
Philadelphia needs only win over the next three weeks to lock up the top seed. Or a loss by the Cowboys, Vikings, and 49ers. The Eagles were no doubt toying with the idea of resting Hurts prior to the diagnosis of a shoulder sprain. Now it seems like a foregone conclusion. Why risk further injury? They shouldn’t.
#Eagles QB Jalen Hurts suffered a sprained shoulder in yesterday’s game against the #Bears, sources tell me, @RapSheet and @TomPelissero. It’s not considered a long-term injury.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Eagles are shuffling through all possible scenarios and outcomes before making a final decision. It “remains to be seen” whether Hurts will suit up again in the regular season.
“We may see Gardner Minshew in there against the Dallas Cowboys in a game the Eagles need to win to secure the No. 1 seed and a bye,” Rapoport said. “Now it’s my understanding here is that it remains to be seen when we will see Jalen Hurts again. Contingent upon the fact they may lock up the No. 1 seed with a win. Are the Eagles going to put him at risk in Week 17? Week 18? We shall see when, maybe if, Hurts gets back on the field in the regular season.”
From @NFLTotalAccess: The status of #Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is up in the air after a shoulder sprain.
Nick Sirianni, Jalen Hurts Downplayed Severity?
It’s unclear if the severity of Jalen Hurts’ shoulder injury was known immediately following Sunday’s game. He played the entire fourth quarter on it and played incredibly well all things considered.
Jalen Hurts in the 4th quarter yesterday on a sprained shoulder:
6/9, 102 yards (long of 68); 6 rushing attempts, 9 yards, 1 TD
What everyone did know – simply go back and watch the film and you can see it – was Hurts absorbed a gluttony of hits against Chicago. The so-called straw that broke the camel’s back came at the end of the third quarter when 263-pound pass rusher Trevis Gipson tackled him. It was a clean hit, but the dual-threat quarterback was very slow to get back up. In fact, his teammates rushed over and crowded around Hurts.
“It wasn’t the first time I’ve been slow and it won’t be the last,” Hurts said after the game. “And they played a really physical game, you know, and we were real cold, too. And we were able to find a win in the end.”
This is the play on which Jalen Hurts sprained his shoulder. He got X-rays after the game, as reported by @JimmyKempski.
Head coach Nick Sirianni openly talked about the hit during his post-game press conference. How much did he know? Well, Sirianni knew Hurts would be sore.
“He’ll be sore from that,” Sirianni said. “We’ll be on a short week but he’s tough and you know – guys, two things, like there’s some plays that happened and when you get hit, like the one he got hit on by that linebacker – it was a great hit – but sometimes when they’re square up like that, those don’t – those aren’t the ones that hurt you. I know he took a couple of big hits, but they were pretty clean shots and he got up and he was good to go.”
🎥 Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni downplay the severity of hits on Hurts postgame vs Bears before diagnosis of sprained shoulder
The Soulful Curse of Anita Baker
Soulful singer-songwriter Anita Baker acknowledged Hurts on Twitter after the Eagles quarterback gave her a shout out after the game. Funny, in retrospect, because Hurts was commenting on how his body felt after absorbing so many hits in the game.
“I feel good, listening to my Anita Baker,” Hurts said. “I’m going to get me some sweets on the plane ride home, watch the tape, learn from it, and move forward.”