PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts is making his return for the Eagles, participating in practice with limitations, but all indications suggest that the dynamic quarterback will be ready to play in the upcoming NFC wild-card playoff encounter this weekend.
Hurts made his first appearance in practice on Wednesday since suffering a concussion in Week 16, and he is anticipated to be on the field for Sunday’s home matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
“He’s been really focused,” said offensive lineman Lane Johnson. “Although he is limited physically at the moment, mentally he appears to be on point.”
Up until Wednesday, the Eagles had been tight-lipped about Hurts’ health status after he exited the game against Washington early on December 22 due to his concussion. He missed the last two games, during which backups Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee led the team to victories. Head coach Nick Sirianni previously indicated merely that Hurts remained in concussion protocol.
To familiarize themselves with the game-day atmosphere — particularly as temperatures drop into the 20s — the Eagles practiced at their home field, Lincoln Financial Field. Hurts, who wasn’t scheduled for a media encounter, impressed teammates with his performance across the board in what was his first competitive practice in several weeks.
“He looked incredibly sharp,” offensive tackle Jordan Mailata remarked. “He brought a lot of energy, even wearing short sleeves out there.”
Hurts is no stranger to the competition; he was effective in the season opener against the Packers, completing 20 of 34 passes for 278 yards, along with two touchdowns and two interceptions, leading the Eagles to a 34-29 win.
“He’s consistently evaluating his performance and preparing for the opponent,” Sirianni said. “His work ethic is commendable.”
This season, Hurts dealt with a broken finger on his non-throwing hand and has racked up 2,903 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Following the team’s Week 5 bye, he threw just one interception and contributed 14 rushing touchdowns, aided by the “tush push” play.
“He’s shown remarkable confidence while protecting the ball,” remarked offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. “His situational awareness, including two-minute drills and critical third downs, has been impressive.”
On the other hand, Pickett is also facing challenges with sore ribs and could potentially lose his backup position to McKee during this postseason. McKee started in the season finale and registered 269 passing yards along with two touchdowns. He also threw for two touchdowns on just four attempts the previous week in relief of Pickett during a victory over Dallas.
“Tanner executed well in the action game, showing great timing and rhythm,” Moore stated.
The Eagles come into this playoff matchup as 4½-point favorites according to BETMGM Sportsbook.
Meanwhile, the Packers are dealing with their own quarterback injury woes.
Jordan Love and backup Malik Willis have both been limited due to injuries that hampered their throwing abilities during the team’s loss to the Chicago Bears last Sunday.
Love experienced numbness in his right hand after hitting his elbow on the ground in the second quarter but reported that the feeling had mostly returned to normal by the following morning. Despite this, he continued to experience some soreness in his elbow and acknowledged discomfort during limited throwing drills on Wednesday.
When asked about his certainty of playing on Sunday, Love responded, “We’ll see. Yeah, I’m hopeful.”
