The latest Jalen Hurts injury update is a positive one for the Philadelphia Eagles. After missing two games and looking affected by his right shoulder sprain in the season finale, Hurts appears to have benefited from the team’s bye week.
Hurts told reporters Wednesday that he’s “feeling good” ahead of Saturday’s divisional playoff matchup with the New York Giants. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said that his starting quarterback is doing better than he was two weeks ago when Hurts played for the first time in 21 days.
On Tuesday, Sirianni said that Hurts was healthy enough to be a full participant in practice. Two days before the Eagles play their first playoff game of 2023, Hurts is no longer listed on the injury report.
Philadelphia was defeated in Week 16 and Week 17 when Hurts was sidelined with his shoulder injury. Hurts returned in the Eagles’ 22-16 win over the Giants in Week 18. The quarterback played through pain in order to secure the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs for Philadelphia.
Here is Jalen Hurts practicing. Not on injury report 👍🏻
“He’s the same. His preparation, the same thing he did through the first 17 weeks of the season, he’s doing the same thing this week. He’s locked in.”
-Eagles OC Shane Steichen pic.twitter.com/zFi2UuF5jj
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) January 19, 2023
“This is a really good team with a really good defense,” Hurts said of the Giants. “They do a lot of really good things. It’s football. I’ve got a bounty on me every week I go out there on the field, so I’m going to go out there and play my game. Whatever happens, happens.”
Operating at less than 100%, Hurts had one of his least effective games of the season in the finale. The quarterback’s 57.1% completion rate and 65.0 passer rating were both his second-worst marks of the season. Hurts had nine carries for just 13 yards, averaging a season-low 1.4 yards per attempt. Hurts’ 242 yards from scrimmage were tied for his third-lowest total.
When he was healthy, Hurts was arguably the league’s best quarterback during the 2022 campaign. The 24-year-old completed 66.5% of his passes for 3,701 yards and added 760 more yards on the ground. Hurts had 35 total touchdowns compared to just eight turnovers.
As the Eagles’ starter, Hurts went 14-1. Philadelphia went 0-2 with Gardner Minshew starting under center.
The Giants had a chance to upset the Eagles in Week 18, despite resting Daniel Jones and other starters. If Hurts doesn’t return to his Pro Bowl-caliber play, Philadelphia’s chances of reaching the NFC Championship Game could be in jeopardy.
Hurts and the Eagles routed the Giants 48-22 when the two teams faced off at MetLife Stadium one week before the quarterback suffered his shoulder injury. The likely 2022 MVP runner-up had 294 total yards, three touchdowns and a 109.2 passer rating in that contest.
Philadelphia is favored to beat New York by more than a touchdown.
Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
