In a season where nearly everything has gone right for the Philadelphia Eagles, something has at last gone wrong. Jalen Hurts suffered a sprained shoulder against the Chicago Bears on Sunday and may not be able to play against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16, as Adam Schefter of ESPN reported.
Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer indicated Hurts could miss the Eagles’ next two games. Neither the Eagles nor Hurts’ agent believes this is a long-term injury, per Schefter.
Jalen Hurts Injury Update
Hurts got hurt late in the third quarter of Sunday’s game when he was driven to the ground by Bears defender Trevis Gipson. Despite the injury, Hurts stayed in for the rest of the contest. He even scored a rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter to essentially seal Philadelphia’s victory.
The Eagles have already clinched a playoff berth. While they haven’t technically secured the NFC East or the NFC’s No. 1 seed, it will be difficult for the Cowboys, Vikings, or 49ers to catch Philadelphia in either of those races.
Hurts and Co. are two games ahead of Minnesota in the battle for the top seed in the conference, but they also hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. They’re also three games up on San Francisco. Thus, the Eagles would have to lose out, and the Vikings or 49ers would have to win out, for Philadelphia to lose the No. 1 seed.
MORE: NFL Week 16 Playoff Picture
It’s a similar story in the NFC East. The Eagles are three games ahead of the Cowboys and own the tiebreaker. Dallas would have to win its next three games, and the Eagles would have to lose out in order to capture the division crown.
After playing the Cowboys this weekend, the Eagles are scheduled to close out the 2022 campaign with two home games against the Saints and the Giants.
The Eagles’ leads in those respective races could lead the club to shut down Hurts for the rest of the regular season. If the team takes that cautious approach, Hurts could rest for the next four weeks, assuming Philadelphia still grabs the No. 1 seed. He wouldn’t have to suit up until the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
Hurts has been nothing short of outstanding in his third NFL campaign. He’s thrown for 3,472 yards, 22 touchdowns, and five interceptions while helping the Eagles to an NFL-best 13-1 record. The former second-round pick has also been dynamic on the ground, where he’s managed 747 yards and is second in the league with 13 rushing touchdowns.
Gardner Minshew is the Eagles’ Next Man Up
The Eagles have typically prioritized rostering an above-average backup quarterback, and that strategy will help them if Hurts has to miss games.
Philadelphia sent a sixth-round pick to the Jaguars in April 2021 to acquire Gardner Minshew, who started 20 games for Jacksonville between 2019 and 2020, posting 37 touchdowns and 11 interceptions during that span.
Minshew started for the Eagles in Week 13 of the 2021 campaign, throwing for two touchdowns in a 33-18 win over the Jets. After that game, Minshew asked head coach Nick Sirianni what it would require for Minshew to overtake Hurts as the Eagles’ starting quarterback. He also made another start for Philadelphia in their meaningless Week 17 finale.
Minshew should be more than capable of operating the Eagles’ offense, but he obviously doesn’t offer the rushing element that Hurts brings to the table. As such, Philadelphia could heavily rely on running backs Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, and Boston Scott to carry the load down the stretch.
Meanwhile, Minshew is scheduled to hit the open market next spring. Even a few solid games under center for the Eagles could significantly enhance his free agent stock and put him in a position to compete for a starting job with another team.